OUR VENUE
Estate History
The estate was first settled in 1674
Clandeboye is most famous for the legacy of the 1st Marquess (1826-1902), who laid out the historic parklands under the guidance of James Frazer. The project was so extensive that the estate still boasts the largest area of broadleaved woodland in Northern Ireland. To honour the inspiration of the 1st Marquess, the Dufferin Foundation now acts as a focus for environmental projects throughout Northern Ireland and works closely with Conservation Volunteers NI.
In 1975 Lady Dufferin was responsible for encouraging Conservation Volunteers to set up their Northern Ireland base within the estate. The Conservation Volunteers continue to be associated with Clandeboye Estate and are making a difference in local communities throughout the province.
The present Clandeboye House, then still known as Ballyleidy, was built to the designs of Robert Woodgate between 1801 and 1804. Woodgate joined the practice of the eminent architect Sir John Soane, in London, as an apprentice in 1788. After he completed his apprenticeship in 1791 he was sent to Ireland to superintend the rebuilding work at Barons Court. It was because of Woodgates quick thinking that the wings of Barons Court were saved from the fire of 1796. It was from Dublin that, in November 1799, Woodgate sent a plan of his first house to Soane. While the plan is lost, and the house unidentified, it could conceivably have been Clandeboye. The plans used by Woodgate cleverly utilised the previous building as the core of his grand design. Today the exterior of the house appears very much as he built it, despite the numerous additions to accommodate the extensive collections of the 1st Marquess.
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