When it came to buying their first home, the owners of 2 Brabazon Cottages on Dargle Road Lower in Bray focused their search on areas that would allow them to remain close to Dublin city centre, where they had been renting.
They spotted this charming period two-bed in the seaside town early in the house-hunting process and were disappointed to find the sale had already been agreed. They found little that lived up to it after that and had no qualms about making an offer on it when it happened to return to the market – “we jumped on it,” the owner says.
The cottages offer a glimpse at the history of the town as they were built by the Brabazon family of Killruddery House in 1882. The National Built Heritage Service describes the row of cottages as “an attractive terrace in the picturesque style favoured by the Brabazon estate in the late 19th century, which, despite alterations to the house to the northeast end, is still largely intact”.
The owners are now hoping to move back towards Dublin city centre, placing this modernised period home on the market with Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €445,000. It is Ber exempt.
On his days working from home, the owner walks Bray Head, which offers beautiful scenic and sea views to blow the cobwebs off. The cottage is also in easy walking distance of the shops, pubs, cafes, and restaurants of the town centre, as well as along the promenade. It is also just down the road from the People’s Park, so you are spoiled for choice when it comes to stretching you legs.
For commuters to Dublin, it’s a 15-minute walk from Bray Daly station, where you can take a train journey of 30-43 minutes to Dublin Pearse.
Number 2 Brabazon Cottages looks lovely from the street, with grey stone walls, a window framed in redbrick and a gable dormer window on the first floor. It also has a small yard to the front behind a low stone wall.
Inside, the kitchen occupies the front of the ground floor with a sash window looking out to the street. The kitchen is neutral in tone, with cream cabinets and wood-effect countertops. A wall of exposed redbrick creates a great feature.
The livingroom sits beyond that with furniture oriented around a substantial pot-bellied stove and French doors opening out to the south-facing garden. The garden is a low-maintenance space with colourful planted borders, cocooned by old stone walls. There is also a block-built shed and a rear laneway.
The only shower room in the house sits to the rear of the ground floor.
Upstairs there are two good-sized double bedroom and, because one of the owners’ loves their fashion, they had floor-to-ceiling wardrobes built installed in the main bedroom.
