Woodstock House - Historic Structures Fund

Kilkenny County Council has received a conservation grant under the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The grant is to fund the capital works to stabilise Woodstock House which is currently in a poor condition and will continue to deteriorate without intervention.

The country house and its gardens are located in Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny. It is owned and managed by Kilkenny County Council, as part of Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum.

The original five-bay three-storey classical style country house was built between 1745 and 1747 for Sir William Fownes by the architect Francis Bindon. It was extended in 1804 with the addition of two flanking wings and the service yards, designed by local architect, William Robertson. The gardens were developed between 1840 and 1870 by the Tighe family under Charles McDonald - a Scot, the head gardener in the 1860s.

The house was destroyed by a fire early in the Civil War.

The fire, in 1922, caused huge damage including the loss of all internal timber floors and linings, and damage to window surrounds.

Woodstock House has lain derelict for over 50 years and the centre of the front (north-western) elevation collapsed in March 2001 during a storm.

 A steel frame was subsequently erected to brace the masonry either side of the collapse.

The ground floor is covered with collapsed brickwork and building debris. Small trees and saplings have become established on the wall tops, and ivy covers many of the surviving walls.

This is a multi-year, multi-phase project but the initial funding will allow the securing of the front and rear faces.

Works on the rear façade are now complete and works on the front elevation will be undertaken in the coming months.

 Attracting over 40,000 visitors annually, Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum stands as a beacon of natural beauty, history, and community connection.

The House along with the 50-acre restored Victorian gardens, part of a 1,000-acre woodland estate managed in partnership with Coillte, have benefited from years of progressive development. This most recent phase of work honours the site's heritage while ensuring its enjoyment for generations to come.