Bantry House

Bantry House and Garden is a grand old stately home sitting on a hillside above Bantry Bay. Incredibly it has been lived in by the same family, the Whites, since the 1700s. The house itself is a long grey stone building looking out over the water toward Whiddy Island and the Caha Mountains. Since it is still a family home as much as a museum, the whole place has a lived in, slightly faded grandeur feel to it. The garden is beautifully laid out in the Italian style across seven terraces that step up along slope, plus there is a fountain, a circle of wisteria and neat formal beds spread out beside the house. Rising up the hill is a long flight of stone steps, a hundred of them, lined with azaleas and rhododendrons that flush pink and red in late spring. Climbing to the top is well worth the effort for the amazing viewpoint with the terraces and fountain lined up down the slope, the house sitting in the middle, and the bay stretching out behind. Down on the main grounds the front lawn gives lots to experiment: the house with the water behind it, the intricate fountain, or the wisteria circle in the formal gardens are all amazing shooting subjects. A 24-70mm lens will be the most useful piece of kit to use here. Although a longer lens will help you pick out the terraces and the boats on the bay. Morning or late afternoon light spreads across the terraces and picks up the texture in the stone, although a soft overcast day suits the garden colours well, especially when the azaleas are out. Late spring is the ideal season to aim for, when everything around the steps is in bloom. The Estate is open for visits, a Bed & Breakfast in the east wing, and weddings. There is an admission fee to access both the grounds and house itself. It is easily accessible, just off the N71, with parking on site. (Bantry, County Cork, Ireland)