Glanleam woods date from the 1830's. However it was during the 1850's when Sir Peter Fitzgerald, 19th Knight of Kerry developed about forty acres in a very special way: Realising the almost frost free conditions, he set about creating one of the first subtropical gardens in these Isles. He designed the garden to a Robinsonian style - interplanting natural habitats with exotics. A pioneer in plant acclimatisation, he planted an extensive collection of recently introduced specimens from the Southern hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South America, especially Chile, but also from China). A lot of these plants thrive in the mild and sheltered gardens of Glanleam and grow faster and taller than in their native countries.