Long ornamental canals lying dead-still between towering hedges, a Jubilee parterre, an ancient earthwork motte and a café by the river — all in the middle of Antrim town, and all completely free. Said to be one of the few surviving Anglo-Dutch water gardens of its kind in the British Isles.
What you'll see — the famous long canals and ponds, the round pond and the yew-fringed pond, a big parterre of clipped box and bright bedding, the Anglo-Dutch hedge walks, and a 12th-century motte you can climb for the view over the grounds.
Free — and easy — free entry, free parking, no booking. Walk straight in. Clotworthy House sits at the heart of it as an arts centre, café and visitor info point.
How long — an easy hour or two for a wander, longer with coffee and the kids running the lawns. All ages, and mostly flat.
Getting around — buggy and wheelchair-friendly, mostly flat gravel and grass paths, with benches to rest along the way.
Dogs — welcome on leads across the grounds, with two fenced dog parks (one for big dogs, one for small).
Café and house hours differ from the gardens. The gardens open longer than Clotworthy House and the café — so if you're going for lunch or the exhibitions, check those times before you set off.
Events take over the lawns. The grounds host outdoor events through the year and sections can be closed or busy on the day — worth a quick check if you want the place quiet.
Plan your visit
Can I visit? Yes — it's free, and you just walk in
Antrim Castle Gardens is a free, council-run heritage garden in the middle of Antrim town, open daily with free parking and no booking. The gardens keep longer hours than Clotworthy House and the café, so if you're coming for the arts centre, an exhibition or lunch, check those times separately. It's an easy hour or two to wander — clear a morning or an afternoon and take your time.
Free entryFree parkingCafé at Clotworthy HouseToilets & baby changeBuggy & wheelchair-friendlyDogs on leads · dog parks
Worth knowing before you go:
The gardens open longer than Clotworthy House and the café — so check the house and café times if you're planning lunch or the exhibitions. Outdoor events run on the lawns through the year, and parts of the grounds can be closed or busy on event days. Times and prices for the café aren't fixed here, so confirm current times on the day.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
👟Comfy shoesPaths are flat gravel and grass — fine in trainers, a touch soft underfoot after rain.
🧥A coat or a layerYou're out in the open by the river. A breeze or a quick shower is never far away.
🧺A picnic, maybePlenty of lawn to spread out on when it's dry, or the café at Clotworthy House when it's not.
🐕The dogLeads on across the grounds, with two fenced dog parks — one for big dogs, one for small.
What's on
There's usually something on the lawns
The grounds host outdoor events, trails and seasonal happenings through the year, and Clotworthy House runs changing exhibitions and workshops. Check the current programme before you travel — and be aware event days can bring bigger crowds or close off parts of the gardens.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Opening hours
Open daily. The gardens keep longer hours than Clotworthy House and the café, and times can shift for events — check the current times before you set off.
Getting in
Free entry, and no booking — just walk in.
Parking
Free parking on site by the entrance.
Food
A café at Clotworthy House for coffee, lunch and traybakes. Its hours differ from the gardens, so check before you plan lunch around it.
Toilets
Yes — toilets and baby-changing at Clotworthy House, with accessible facilities.
Dogs
Welcome on leads across the grounds, plus two fenced dog parks — one for larger dogs and one for smaller.
Getting around
Mostly flat gravel and grass paths, buggy and wheelchair-friendly, with benches to rest along the way. Some ground can be soft after rain.
How long
An easy hour or two for a wander; longer with the café, the motte and the kids on the lawns.
Questions
Before you go
Is it really free?
Yes — free entry and free parking, no booking. You just walk in. It's a council-run heritage garden, so there's no ticket for the gardens themselves.
Is there a café and toilets?
Yes — a café, toilets and baby-changing at Clotworthy House. Just note the café and house keep shorter hours than the gardens, so check those times if you're planning lunch or the exhibitions.
Can I bring a buggy or wheelchair?
Yes. The paths are mostly flat gravel and grass and are buggy and wheelchair-friendly, with benches dotted along the way. It can be a little soft underfoot after heavy rain.
Are dogs allowed?
Yes — dogs are welcome on leads across the grounds, and there are two fenced dog parks, one for big dogs and one for small.
How long do I need?
An easy hour or two for a wander round the canals, the parterre and the motte — more if you stop for coffee or let the kids loose on the lawns.
What is Clotworthy House?
It's the old stone stable block at the heart of the gardens, now an arts centre with exhibitions and workshops, a café, and visitor information — a good place to start or finish your visit.
Getting there
Antrim Castle Gardens, Randalstown Road, Antrim, County Antrim, BT41 4LH — right in the middle of Antrim town, beside the Six Mile Water, with free parking on site.
The story begins with the Clotworthy family, who built a castle here in the early 1600s and laid out these formal water gardens in the century that followed — the long canals, the ponds and the clipped avenues in the Anglo-Dutch style that was then the height of fashion. They're thought to be among the few gardens of their kind to survive in the British Isles.
The castle itself didn't last. It was gutted by fire in the early 1920s — a blaze said to have broken out during a ball — and only the tower and fragments of ruin remain in the grounds today. The gardens, though, came through, and the older motte at their edge is older still: a 12th-century earthwork raised long before the castle ever stood.
The council has since restored the gardens and made them free for everyone. Clotworthy House — the old stable block — is now an arts centre and café, and the whole demesne runs down to the Six Mile Water on the edge of Antrim town. Get out, wander the canals, climb the motte, and live a bit of it.