“It’s like a farmhouse in Ranelagh” says the owner of 11 Oakley Road in the much sought-after Dublin 6 suburb.
Dating from 1804, it is one of the oldest houses on the road which connects Dunville Avenue to the village. In its heyday the charming Georgian house would indeed have been a country farmhouse where animals would have roamed in fields of what was then a small rural laneway.
“If I had to say what attracted us to the property, it wasn’t the house at all – as it was in tatters and needed lots of work – but it was the garden”.
And today it will also be one of the real selling points of the property. Lying on a site of a third of an acre in total, the back garden – which, as it angles toward the end has a south westerly-facing aspect – extends to a quarter of an acre itself.
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More importantly there is no access to the rear – or to any of the other surrounding gardens – so nothing can, or has been built on the grounds, unlike so many period homes in the area which now have shorter gardens as their original rear gardens have become houses, mews or indeed apartments.
In a sense its landlocked space has ensured its survival.
The property was purchased by its current owners in 1998 when it was a double-fronted three-bedroom house with “a collection of lean-tos attached to the rear”.
They engaged architect, the late Reg Chandler, to design the first of two extensions to the property adding a kitchen, conservatory and family room to the back. Chandler also oversaw renovation of the three bedrooms and two reception rooms “which were all intact but in a sorry state”.
Later, as the family had grown to five children, they engaged architect Martin Murray who added another level to the rear which in turn gave two extra bedrooms.
“Martin also moved the hallway to the centre of the house to give a better layout which ensured that the five bedrooms were all doubles”.
The owner points out – and he is correct – that most five-bedroom houses in the area are set over three storeys – so this is another selling point – the fact that there are just two at Number 11.
To say it is in turnkey condition is a bit of an understatement and new owners will just have to unpack their suitcases in the generous 310sq m (3,336sq ft) of floor space.
On the ground floor, inside an impressive double-height hall with atrium-style roof light are three reception rooms and a study with bespoke bookcases by Kelco. The drawing room retains lovely period details such as a ceiling rose, a fine chimney piece and old coving.
To the rear lies the kitchen extension with a three-door gas Aga with twin hotplates and electric four-ring hob, and an extensive range of built-in units. A conservatory, adjacent to a boot room and utility, is used as a dining room and benefits from a westerly aspect overlooking the garden.
Five double bedrooms lie upstairs off a spacious landing which has good built-in storage, and the principal bedroom is en suite with extensive storage in the built wardrobes – also by Kelco.
The charming Georgian house on an equally charming and substantial site retains an almost bucolic feel despite sitting just 300m from the Luas green line at Beechwood and Ranelagh Village, and is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €3.5 million.
