It is the remnants of a large estate planted during the 19th century by Thomas Acton in conjunction with David Moore and his son Sir Frederick Moore, curators of the National Botanic Gardens at that time. It was a period of great botanical and geographical explorations with numerous plant species from around the world being introduced to Ireland for the first time. As this site is managed by the OPW, school tour visits are permitted free of charge provided certain conditions are met.