{"id":3501,"date":"2026-09-30T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=3501"},"modified":"2026-09-29T15:15:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T14:15:42","slug":"prettier-in-its-october-colour-than-enniskerry-and-far-less-visited-than-dalkey-this-wicklow-village-is-having-its-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/prettier-in-its-october-colour-than-enniskerry-and-far-less-visited-than-dalkey-this-wicklow-village-is-having-its-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"Prettier in its October colour than Enniskerry and far less visited than Dalkey this Wicklow village is having its moment"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the first cold snap of the year and the hedgerows around Roundwood<\/strong> flare a patient, coppery glow<\/strong>. The light feels slower, the air a little cleaner<\/strong>, and the village seems to exhale after the rush of summer<\/strong>. You catch a glint off the Vartry<\/strong> reservoirs and, just beyond, the wick of the mountains<\/strong> is lit by larch and beech. \u201cIt\u2019s the colour that gets<\/strong> you,\u201d a walker tells me, brushing leaves from a sleeve<\/strong>. \u201cOctober paints everything twice<\/strong>\u2014once on the trees, and once on the water<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Between lakes and highland hush<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Roundwood sits where the uplands<\/strong> begin their slow climb, one of Ireland\u2019s highest<\/strong> villages and a true hinge between sea breeze and bog<\/strong> perfume. To the east, the Vartry Reservoirs<\/strong> loop like mirrored commas; to the west, the slopes unfurl toward Djouce<\/strong> and the Wicklow Way<\/strong>. The geography is modest yet magnetic<\/strong>, inviting an unhurried pace<\/strong>\u2014the kind where you hear boots on gravel and a blackbird\u2019s question<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Streets that whisper, not shout<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The main street doesn\u2019t shout for attention<\/strong>; it hums. You get postbox reds<\/strong>, cut-stone greys<\/strong>, and a string of shopfronts with hand-lettered promises<\/strong>. A window steams as scones cool on a rack<\/strong>; a couple lean over a map with the weekend<\/strong> ahead. \u201cThere\u2019s comfort in feeling known<\/strong>,\u201d a barista says, sliding a flat white with the care<\/strong> of a potter. Hospitality here is less about trend<\/strong> and more about texture<\/strong>\u2014a lived-in warmth that still knows how to surprise<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why now, and why it suits<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Roundwood hasn\u2019t reinvented itself<\/strong> so much as refined its welcome<\/strong>. A spruced-up trailhead here, a menu punch-up at a pub<\/strong> there, and a gentle uptick in creative<\/strong> souls decamping from the city<\/strong>. You sense that sweet spot\u2014enough choice<\/strong> to feel curated, enough gaps to breathe and wander<\/strong>. \u201cWe try not to over-polish the edges<\/strong>,\u201d a publican shrugs. \u201cIt\u2019s the edges that keep the character<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Walk first, then linger<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Start with the Vartry Trails<\/strong>, looping through spruce and beech<\/strong>, each bend gifting a new reflection<\/strong>. In October, the water holds a painter\u2019s palette<\/strong>\u2014sienna, umber, a shock of gold<\/strong> where a birch releases another sigh<\/strong>. For a longer ramble, follow the Wicklow Way<\/strong> toward Ballinastoe, where boardwalks lift you over peat and the views<\/strong> tilt toward the sea. If clear, detour up the R759 for the drama of Lough<\/strong> Tay\u2014dark, oval, and theatrically framed<\/strong> by cliffs.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The tastes that anchor a day<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll want a hearty<\/strong> plate when the hills are done. Old-guard pubs dish slow stews<\/strong>, perfectly battered haddock<\/strong>, and brown bread that leans into molasses<\/strong>. Newer kitchens flirt with game<\/strong>, garden veg<\/strong>, and bright, herby<\/strong> sauces that make stout feel lighter<\/strong>. \u201cWe cook like the weather talks<\/strong>,\u201d a chef grins. \u201cComfort, then a spark of lift<\/strong>.\u201d Coffee is quietly serious<\/strong> here, too: nutty house blends<\/strong>, fat oat<\/strong> microfoam, and bakers unafraid of butter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Small pleasures, slow calendar<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The village doesn\u2019t rely on spectacle<\/strong>. It\u2019s a place of rituals<\/strong>: a Saturday market table stacked with jars that still feel warm<\/strong>; fiddles unwrapping a tune as the fire<\/strong> finds its stride; kids measuring puddles with reckless<\/strong> science. Red squirrels stencil quick arcs<\/strong> through larch; herons stand on one leg<\/strong>, as if editing their own poems<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s ordinary, but the good<\/strong> kind,\u201d says a local, tipping a cap as a shower<\/strong> passes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

An October weekend, sketched<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Morning: Vartry loop in crisp light<\/strong>, then a cinnamon bun<\/strong> and a second coffee you swore you wouldn\u2019t need<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Midday: Short drive to the Lough Tay viewpoint<\/strong>, back via Ballinastoe for wind-rinsed air<\/strong> and open skies<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Late afternoon: Browse a craft shelf<\/strong>, pick up jam that tastes like sun<\/strong>, and claim a snug by the fire<\/strong>. <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Evening: Pub dinner, local voices<\/strong>, and a tune that lands softer than you expect<\/strong>.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    How to arrive, and when to stay<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    From Dublin, the drive curls past Ashford<\/strong> and climbs gently into heather<\/strong> country; buses running toward Glendalough<\/strong> often stop nearby, but check current timetables<\/strong>. Stay in a room over a pub<\/strong>, a stone cottage with a stove<\/strong>, or a modest B&B where the porridge tastes faintly of childhood<\/strong>. Autumn is the village\u2019s best face<\/strong>\u2014mornings bright, afternoons honeyed<\/strong>, and evenings ready for lamplight<\/strong>. Winter narrows the palette<\/strong>, but swaps it for quiet you can almost touch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The feeling you take with you<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Some places deliver their best<\/strong> in a rush; this one sets a slower table<\/strong> and lets the hours pour like tea<\/strong>. You leave with boot mud<\/strong> on your cuffs, the aftertaste of smoke<\/strong> and cinnamon, and a pocket map creased where you changed your mind<\/strong>. On the way down, the reservoirs catch the last amber<\/strong>, and a rook caws like a closing bracket<\/strong>. The city feels closer, yet somehow more distant<\/strong>\u2014as if the day had gently edited what you thought you needed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3501"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3506,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3501\/revisions\/3506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}