National Trust - Florence Court — Attraction in Fermanagh and Omagh District

Florence Court House is a stunning 18th-century mansion set in a beautiful estate in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It was the home of the Cole family, Earls of Enniskillen, for over 200 years and is now owned by the National Trust. I visited Florence Court House on a sunny day in July and was impressed by its elegant architecture, rich history and scenic surroundings.

The House

The house is open for guided tours, which are booked on arrival. The tour lasts about an hour and covers the main rooms of the house, such as the entrance hall, the drawing room, the dining room and the library. The rooms are furnished with original pieces from the Cole family collection, including paintings, furniture, porcelain and silverware. The guides are very knowledgeable and friendly, and share stories about the family, the house and the local area.

One of the highlights of the house is the original Irish yew tree, which stands in front of the entrance. This tree is over 250 years old and is the mother of all Irish yew trees in the world. It was discovered by a local farmer in 1740 and given to John Cole, who planted it at Florence Court. The tree is a symbol of the estate and its connection to nature.

Another interesting feature of the house is the plasterwork on the ceilings and walls, which was done by local craftsmen in the 18th century. The plasterwork is very intricate and delicate, and depicts various motifs such as flowers, birds, animals and musical instruments. Some of the plasterwork was damaged by a fire that broke out in 1955, but it has been restored by the National Trust.

The Gardens

The gardens at Florence Court are a delight to explore. They include a walled garden, a pleasure ground, a kitchen garden and an orchard. The walled garden is home to a variety of flowers, herbs and vegetables, as well as an ornate fountain from the early 19th century. The kitchen garden produces seasonal produce for the tea room and for sale at the visitor centre. The orchard has over 180 heritage apple trees, which produce over 40 varieties of apples.

The pleasure ground is a landscaped area with gravel and grass paths, ponds, bridges and statues. It offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside and mountains, especially from the thatched Heather House. This was a favourite spot for the Cole family to relax and enjoy the fresh air.

The Estate

The estate at Florence Court covers over 600 acres of parkland and woodland. There are over 15 km of trails to walk or cycle through, ranging from easy to challenging. The trails pass through forests, meadows, rivers and hills, and offer opportunities to see wildlife such as deer, squirrels, birds and butterflies. There are also historic features such as an icehouse, a forge and a sawmill to discover along the way.

The estate is part of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, which is a UNESCO site that showcases the geological diversity and heritage of this region. There are guided tours available to explore the caves, which are located about 10 km from Florence Court.

The Facilities

Florence Court has a range of facilities for visitors to enjoy. There is a visitor centre with a gift shop, where you can buy souvenirs, books, plants and local products. There is also a second-hand bookshop run by volunteers, where you can find a bargain or donate your unwanted books.

There is a tea room in the former stables building, which serves delicious food and drinks made with local ingredients. The tea room has indoor and outdoor seating areas, and caters for dietary requirements. There is also a picnic area near the car park, where you can bring your own food.

There are toilets and baby changing facilities on site, as well as disabled access toilets. There is a car park near the visitor centre, which is free for National Trust members. There are also designated parking spaces for disabled visitors.

There are wheelchairs and mobility scooters available to borrow for exploring the house and estate. There are also induction loops in some areas of the house for...

A true gem of a National Trust property. I visited with my two small children on a sunny Monday in the middle of the summer holidays - it really wasn't as busy as I had expected it to be and we found plenty of quiet places around the site to enjoy. Firstly the staff at the visitor centre were great with my two young children, they took the time to engage with them and set them off with the summer passport and a little scavenger hunt type tick list of things to be looking out for (as well as a few stickers). There were maps of the site available which is also a winner for my kids. At the visitor centre there are lovely clean toilet facilities. The walled garden area was looking lovely with plenty to see and walk around. From there we walked up to the tea room and house area. We have previously done the house tour and thoroughly enjoyed it, however with two small children we gave it a miss this time. The tea room is nice with a reasonable selection available. We made use of the baby changing facilities close to the tea room, again very clean and tidy (worth noting that these are across the courtyard from the main toilet facilities in that area and the signage wasn't very clear when there were people sat at the tables in that area - the door itself doesn't identify that it's a toilet/baby changing room). There is a great playground for children behind the main house which the kids loved, they were also fascinated by watching the sawmill come to life with the water wheel spinning. There's a great walking route that covers a little distance around the grounds, but it's not a difficult walk. Also some beautiful views of the gardens from various points around the site. You can definitely spend all day here if you want to, our visit was about four hours and we definitely didn't see it all in that time however felt that we covered enough...

I took out membership with the national trust because my husband is severely immunocompromised and a holiday abroad is out of the question. It was such a well worth purchase. With places like the beautiful Florence Court to visit, even just that one place, I feel like we really got our money's worth!!

We had booked a weekend at a cottage in Eniskillen and visited Florence Court on a Friday. It wasn't too busy and the staff were super organised and very helpful. We were able to book a mobility scooter via email for my husband which meant I could wander the beautiful grounds until my heart was content. But what I really wanted to see was the kitchen and walled garden. It did not disappoint. There is some restoration work going on but it doesn't obstruct anything and is actually very interesting. There's some produce from the garden you can buy with an honest box arrangement. They even had beech trees and blackcurrant bushes for sale.

We also stopped for a cup of coffee at the tea Room in the stables. The facilities are all in good order and just what you would expect from the National Trust.

On our visit we didn't explore the house, however, I have to say, had I been buying a ticket instead of using my membership I still think it is well worth the price. It's a whole day out with plenty of room to run off lots of energy but it's equally equipped for those less mobile. It's well signposted so not too difficult to find. There are plenty of picnic tables dotted about the place if you fancy a bit...