Timeless with a touch of magic could well describe of the latest offering from Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty at Manor Kilbride, near Blessington in Co Wicklow.
Two charming cut-stone schoolhouses dating from 1862 were built by Col Lorenzo Moore of the Battle Axe Guards in Ireland. In addition to the quaint school, the family built St John’s Church at Cloughlea along with the manor house and gate lodge in this part of the world, known as the garden of Ireland.
On local historian Jim Corely’s website, he explains that these two properties were constructed “as a desirable method of uplifting the moral and intellectual fibre of the children of the tenantry”, who had been attending a hedge school before then – where all references to Irish culture, language and history, “were sadly, taken out of the schoolbooks”.
Built to accommodate Catholic and Protestant children, the buildings remained in use until June 1969 when the new school – St Brigid’s – was opened in the village.
When first built, these granite gems were purposed as a school and as a school master’s house, where children of the parish would bring a daily sod of turf to keep the fires alive over the winter months.
Purchased by its current owners in September 1969, the property is now on the market for the first time in more than 50 years.
What is impressive about these properties – not just their magical setting, as if being hugged by a blanket of surrounding forest – is that their transformation from educational facilities was completed by 1972. Their layout and design were the work of architect Stuart Young, who, according to the owners, had trained with Scott Tallon Walker. Their brief was to keep it “simple and pared back, with the use of high-quality materials”.
How the interiors have not dated over the past 53 years is a testament to superb design in both houses, now laid out as a one-bedroom home, with a four-bedroom guest house adjacent.
Where children would have sat to learn algebra and the like is now the one-bedroom retreat. At 146sq m (1,572sq ft), it’s some space occupied by a large open-plan living and diningroom centred by the original hearth, where the children’s turf would have kept them warm in winter. Overhead is a mezzanine study, under which lies a simple all-white kitchen.
Here, the flooring from the living space extends into the cooking space, forming an infinity counter – with the owner’s collection of wooden bowls serving as a divider between the areas. The bedroom lies to the rear, opening out on to a cut stone patio via a set of sliding doors, allowing verdant views of the gardens.
The larger of the two properties is the old school master’s house, now a cleverly laid out four-bedroom home. Accessed from a wooden bridge to the rear, entry brings you directly into the upper floor, where a galley kitchen lies alongside an open-plan living and dining space. Four bedrooms lie below – accessed by a spiral staircase – which could be reconfigured to a standard staircase if required.
Outside, the magic continues in pine-scented gardens designed by art collector and amateur architect Basil Goulding, who lived locally in the Scott Tallon Walker-designed Goulding Summer House.
Here, old cobble-lock stones from the Gasworks in Dublin were repurposed as a terrace, while the moss-swathed standing stones along the pathway, as you enter through the tiny pedestrian gate, came from surrounding farmlands, where they were used to keep crops away from pests. Central to the gardens is a wonderful lime tree, which is thought to be one of the thousands of trees planted by the Moore family more than a century and a half ago. In autumn months, the surrounding forest floor is home to a variety of edible mushrooms.
Its location is a bit of a hidden gem in Co Wicklow, and as it’s adjacent to the Wicklow Mountains National Park, new owners will never be short of walks. Though it feels like miles from anywhere, the local village of Manor Kilbride has a shop and a pub, with the historic town of Blessington just five miles away.
It’s an unusual offering in the sense that these are two homes, but having a separate guest house could just be the ticket for someone or a couple wanting tranquillity and a bit of peace. Far from the madding crowds, the delightful Old Schoolhouses which have a Ber of F and occupy 277sq m in total, are now on the market seeking €835,000.
