Glenarm Castle in running for Historic Houses' Garden of the Year, first time garden from Northern Ireland in for the prestigious prize

Historic Houses’ Garden of the Year Award, which is sponsored by Christie’s auction house, has been celebrating the finest historic parks and gardens across the UK since 1984.

For Glenarm, a 200-year-old marvel has been charming visitors to the north Antrim coastal village since 2005, being one of the top six horticultural contenders in the UK is a huge accolade.

Estate manager, Adrian Morrow, described the garden, which hosts an annual tulip festival every May, as “a snapshot of horticultural history”.

“It served as the working hub of the property in the nineteenth century, providing a continuous supply of fruit, flowers and vegetables to feed the ‘big house’ and estate staff,” said Mr Morrow.

“Today, it represents one of the best-preserved examples of a walled kitchen garden in the world.

“It was constructed as part of Anne Catherine, Countess of Antrim’s undertaking to revamp Glenarm Castle, with the help of the renowned architect William Vitruvius Morrison in the 1820s.

“Its original rectangular layout, enclosed by sturdy stone walls, adds to its unique charm and functionality.”

Notable features include a distinctive 56-metre sloping Victorian glasshouse providing an ideal environment for various fruits and plants.

Mr Morrow said the garden’s east-to-west design was aimed at maximizing sun exposure for vegetables and fruit including exotic varieties, such as pineapples.

“Historical features like the 25-metre circular yew hedge with a sundial at its centre, gives the garden a sense of timelessness,” said Mr Morrow.

"The beech circle with a rectangular pool and fountain, along with the present Lord and Lady Antrim’s redesign of the western part into six ornamental garden ‘rooms’, showcases the evolution of the garden over the past few years.”

He added: “Gardens like this are not only a testament to the efforts of the past, but also a source of inspiration for the present and future generations of gardeners and nature enthusiasts.”

This year’s shortlist also comprises Blair Castle, Dunvegan and Mount Stuart in Scotland and Hergest Croft and Scampston in England.

Voting is free at www.historichouses.org and open until the end of August.