Heritage and innovation combine as historic estate invests for a sustainable future

An historic estate with roots dating back to 1640 is continuing to secure its long-term future through thoughtful diversification, with its latest investment transforming a former piggery into a boutique garden and lifestyle store.

Located at Drenagh Estate & Gardens in Limavady, the new retail space showcases a curated collection of locally crafted products, championing regional artists and producers while enhancing the estate’s visitor offering.

The opening marks the latest milestone in a broader programme of investment, which has seen £400,000 invested over the past 7 years to strengthen and diversify income streams, ensuring the estate’s sustainability for generations to come.

Conolly McCausland, the eleventh generation of McCauslands at Drenagh Estate and its current custodian, said:

“Taking a step back to look at the potential of the estate has been transformative. What we have today is a unique destination with both local and international appeal, from hosting 120 weddings per annum at the Manor House and our venues throughout the Estate, to our on-site accommodation and the Orangery café, which now welcomes around 75,000 visitors each year.

The new garden and lifestyle store is another step forward in bringing fresh experiences to visitors while supporting local makers, and giving visitors even more reason to explore the Estate and the beautiful gardens and parklands we are situated within. It’s a transformation of the use of the Estate which respects it’s heritage while evolving to meet the today’s visitor expectations.

Throughout this process, we’ve been incredibly impressed by the level of care and consideration shown by Stephen and the team at Bank of Ireland. They took the time to really understand the business, our vision, our plans for investment, and the long-term returns we’re working towards. It’s been a relationship built on trust, shared ambition, and a genuine appreciation for what we’re trying to achieve here. We’re excited about the future of the estate and value the Bank’s continued support as we bring the next phase of our plans to life.”

Stephen Davidson, Business Manager at Bank of Ireland UK added:

“We’re delighted to support Conolly and the continued evolution of Drenagh Estate. It’s a fantastic example of how heritage and innovation can come together to create a thriving, sustainable business that attracts visitors from near and far.

Being a trusted partner is something we don’t take for granted, and we look forward to continuing to support Conolly as the estate embarks on its next phase of development and growth.”

Building on the achievements to date, the next five-year development plan for Drenagh Estate is aimed at strengthening operational performance and sustainability, with future investment focused on efficiency measures and on-site power generation, supporting both cost management and the estate’s long-term environmental goals.