RHSI Bellefield

The renowned architect and garden designer Angela Jupe, who died in 2021, left her house and gardens at Bellefield, Shinrone, Co Offaly to the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland (RHSI). As well as a house and cottages, the grounds include a 2 acre walled garden with a noted collection of perennial plants and rare bulbs, pasture, forestry, a bog area managed for biodiversity and a plantation of native trees.

Originally built as a hunting lodge Bellefield House has undergone a variety of changes in its 200 or so year lifetime. In the 1950s and 60s it was well known as Bellefield Stud and bred many well known horses of the time. After this the outbuildings went into decline and in 2004 it was purchased and restored by the late architect Angela Jupe, she spent the last 17 years of her life restoring the house, gardens and outbuildings to what many recognise today. When Angela passed away in 2021 she bequeathed Bellefield to the RHSI, with the wish that they would become their training gardens.

Once a vast estate of 1000 acres Bellfield now is a much more modest but still large 28 acres. This includes a 1.8 acre wall garden as well as pasture, woodland, plantation and some bog. In 2022 the RHSI took official ownership of Bellefield and appointed Paul Smyth as the head gardener. Since then Paul, Judith Doherty and the team of volunteers who run and manage Bellfield have been welcoming lots of new faces to the garden and developing it is with an eye to the future. We have been restoring the gardens planting and developing some new areas too.

 We plan to open more of the site to the public, be open on a regular basis and to hold regular events and workshops here in years to come. For now, we do monthly openings and group visits by appointment. Running a small estate like this is a new challenge for the RHSI, but an exciting one lots of possibilities. Our aim is to fulfill Angela’s wish to make Bellefield a garden of training of learning, experimentation and showcasing the best of Irish horticulture and plants.

Our 2025 opening times are 7, 8 & 9th February for snowdrop, 23rd March for our Plant Fair, 12th & 13th April, 7th & 8th June, 19th & 20th July and 4th & 5th October for Open Weekends. For group visits please email bellefield@rhsi.ie.

What can we say. What an absolutely marvellous launch we've had at RHSI Bellefield. Over 1000 of you made the journey to the garden from all over the country.

It was truly wonderful to stand in the sunken garden surrounded by so many keen visitors as the story of Tommy's border, the snowdrops and tales of Angela were recounted.

Our most brilliant volunteers - from those who so happily directed and parked (and occasionally pushed!) cars, to the ever cheerful team inside delivering coffee. They all deserve a huge thanks, without them the weekends would not have been the success it was.

To see hundreds of both members and non members enjoying the garden was just great and the positive remarks, well wishes and offers of help are all very much appreciated.

On a personal level to see Bellefield full of life after a 2 year absence of people was the most rewarding part of the entire weekend. I'm delighted that so many made the effort to see the garden and our plans for it.

Thank you all for making our first Snowdrop weekends so special and being there at the start of this exciting journey for both the RHSI and Bellefield.

A very warm welcome to all of the new RHSI members who signed up at Bellefield, we look forward to seeing you again over the coming months and if anyone is interested in volunteering at RHSI Bellefield please email bellefield@rhsi.ie.