Kilfane Glen and Waterfall

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The principle elements introduced to this natural setting by the Powers and their landscape designer (whose identity is at present unknown) was a dramatic waterfall, made by diverting water from the stream before it entered the ravine and conducting it along a small canal or feeder channel over one mile before emerging to fall over a rocky cliff 30 feet high. From the pool at the base of the cliff, a small water course runs to join the main stream close by, which at this point flows through a grassy lawn at the centre of the glen. Adjoining the waterfall a few yards to the west, a rustic grotto was created at the base of the cliff. One approach to the ravine was by a stone stairway, winding down the cliff and egressing through the grotto. In this, the parallel with the renowned Romantic garden and grotto of the Naiads and the cascade created at Ermenonville by Rene Girardin, and described by him in "Promenade ou itineraire des jardins d'Ermenonville" (1788) is remarkable.

On the opposite side of the main stream, facing the grotto and waterfall sits a thatched summerhouse or cottage orne, a resting place for visitors. Surrounded by a grassy clearing, the cottage allows the fullest contemplation, enjoyment and participation in the wild and savage scene, which had been so artfully contrived. A series of meandering paths by the stream and up the step sloping side of the ravine gave ample scope for walks and the creation of a series of enchanting tableaux and pictures. Rustic seats, bridges across the water, and features such as a well or fountain at the foot of the cliff, provided additional interest for visitors. Continue