Powerscourt Waterfall

Visitors at Powercourt Waterfall

Visitors at Powercourt Waterfall

Visitors at Powercourt Waterfall

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The Powerscourt Gardens have been described as the most ambitious formal gardens of the Victorian era in Ireland, uniting architecture, sculpture, fountains and exotic planting in spectacular confrontation to its setting of woods, mountains and river valley and the stunning Powerscourt Waterfall. The waterfall has been a tourist attraction as far back as 1741 and is praised in the
many guide books produced during the
1800's.

Pococke on his tour in 1752 admired the scene as did Philip Luckombe in 1779. He was also impressed by the the Octagon room, the moss house and the wooden bridge. The Octagon room was built to provide shelter for the many visitors to the waterfall. In 1827 Lord Powerscourt constructed a road through the glen in preparation for a royal visitor, George IV, so his carriage could pass by the waterfall. In order to further impress His Majesty Lord Powerscourt ordered the construction of a resevoir to ensure an impressive amount of water would fall. However the king did not have time to visit the waterfall.Some accounts of this refer to the collapse of the wooden bridge due to heavy rains and the flooding of the resevoir some time shortly after the king had left...

Lord Powerscourt provided picnic tables and benches for visitors and provided porters to carry the hampers to the area as the carriages were not allowed to halt near the waterfall. Entry to the Powerscourt Demesne was by ticket only which could be purchased at the office of the Powerscourt estate.