Heartbreaking scenes as Mount Stewart loses 10,000 trees to Storm Eowyn: Beloved stately home and gardens shut as National Trust also counts ancient specimens lost in Castle Ward; Rowallane 'unrecognisable'

The storm’s 90mph winds tore down ancient specimens in Castle Ward, a spokeswoman said, while parts of Rowallane Gardens in Saintfield have been “left almost unrecognisable” after 150 trees were uprooted.

Mount Stewart is likely to remain closed until the end of the week as workers count the cost of the damage, while the National Trust has appealed for donations to help pay for repairs.

For the body’s provincewide staff, the past few days have been occupied with the heart-breaking and mammoth task of counting the extent of the damage wreaked by Storm Eowyn, while also trying to work out what it’ll take to get their massive properties safe for visitors again.

By far the worst affected was Mount Stewart, a 19th century house and gardens on the shores of Strangford Lough in Co Down.

Initial estimates say upwards of 10,000 trees were lost across its 900-acre grounds as winds tore through the world-renowned formal gardens surrounding the historic house, extensive estate and woodlands.

In addition to the huge loss of trees, visitor, office and work facilities were all damaged.

Although repair work is under way, officials said “no part of the demesne has been left untouched” and Mount Stewart will be shut to until at least the end of this week.

At 18th century Castle Ward in Co Down, a site globally famous as the filming location for Winterfell in ‘Game Of Thrones’, a beech tree over 200-years-old was felled, as were several from an historic lime tree walk and an ancient Yew tree.

Areas of Rowallane Garden near Saintfield are “almost unrecognisable”, said the National Trust, with over 150 trees torn down by storm winds.

Among the losses are irreplaceable specimen trees, some over 250-years-old, as well as rare and exotic species and rhododendrons planted by the estate's former owner, Hugh Armytage Moor, in the 1870s.

Many of these trees saw their root plates ripped up, meaning they are lost forever, which is described as “a heart-breaking blow to Rowallane's unique tree collection and its legacy”.

Less seriously hit but still in need of repair are country houses the Argory and Ardress as well as picturesque cottage Derrymore House, all in Co Armagh, plus 17th century plantation house Springhill in Co Londonderry.

Those properties suffered fallen trees, damage to fencing and boardwalks, and a destroyed glass house, said the spokeswoman.

In Co Fermanagh, large trees came down at 18th century mansions Castle Coole and Florence Court, and a conifer woodland plantation was destroyed at Derryvore near the Crom Estate nature reserve.

Many National Trust properties are still closed for repair and the public is asked to check before trying to visit.

Meanwhile, the Ulster Farmers’ Union has said that many parts of the countryside are still without electricity, broadband, telephone lines and mobile reception, leaving them isolated and at risk.

Calling on the government to prioritise reconnecting rural areas, the union’s deputy president John McLenaghan said: “This is one of the busiest times of the year.

“Farmers rely heavily on connectivity for essential tasks such as checking weather forecasts, placing supply orders, and maintaining vital records.”