Situated some miles to the east of Drogheda, Beaulieu is a rare and important surviving example of an unfortified house in pre-Georgian Ireland. The house was built in a Dutch classical style and is picturesquely situated looking down over terraced lawns and out across the Boyne river estuary. Lying close by is one of Ireland’s finest walled gardens at the entrance to which is a small pavilion that was first illustrated in a view of Beaulieu by Edward Radclyffe in 1844. This shows only an east facing portico with Doric columns and a slate roof and provides no evidence of what may have stood behind it. The structure was subsequently much altered with changes to the portico itself and the construction in the Edwardian period of a south-facing glasshouse. Inside this there is a large, full-height grotto that surrounds an artificial well with rustic stonework characteristic of classical grottoes.

Over the course of time the pavilion has fallen into a state of disrepair with its portico, roof and fenestration requiring considerable repair works. Through the support of US members of the Society including William and Margaret Constantine who visited Beaulieu on an IGS trip, it was possible to start planning a phased programme of repairs. Additional funding sourced from the Built Heritage Investment Scheme, and The Heritage Council saw the preparation of a conservation report by LOTTS Architecture which prioritised repairs to the roof. These works were undertaken during the summer and have provided breathing space to plan for future works to the portico and glazing.