Listing of the Day
Location: Kilkea, County Kildare, Ireland Price: €950,000 (US$992,478)
At first glance, Forgefield House looks like a classic example of a Victorian country house, with its gabled roof, limestone elevations and bay windows, as well as its well-proportioned rooms with high ceilings and open fireplaces.
But in fact, it is only a decade old. Built in Victorian style from locally sourced stone, the property is in keeping with the local vernacular. Featuring reclaimed period furnishings, it has all the charm of a 19th Century house without the upkeep and costly fuel bills. Instead of drafty floorboards, there’s underfloor heating, double-glazed windows and a heating system partly powered by solar panels.
It has all the character you would expect from a country house and the benefit of being built to today’s standards, according to listing agent David Ashmore. The kitchen, for example, has a farmhouse look, complete with a range cooker built into an alcove and a large bay window overlooking the gardens and countryside beyond. The reception rooms feature ornate plaster work, open fireplaces and reclaimed French oak flooring.
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Approached by a sweeping gravel driveway, the house sits to the back of a large plot and is surrounded by groomed grounds. The property was built on the site of a former smithy and an adjoining paddock so the grounds contain well established trees and mature planting.
A village property, the house feels completely rural as it backs onto open farmland. But the house is in a particularly desirable spot, adds Mr. Ashmore. "You’re in the heart of the village yet you can see for miles across open fields to Killeshin Hills in the distance."
The Stats
This 5,700-square-foot Victorian-style property has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, an attic room, balcony, kitchen with adjoining larder and bi-fold doors that lead to a decked terrace, drawing room, dining room, library, study and sunroom. Outside, there is a garage with a room above and grounds with lawns and a pond. In all, 1.7 acres.
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Amenities
There is also a detached studio building that could be converted into secondary accommodation, subject to planning approval.
Neighborhood Notes
An attractive rural village 47 miles south of Dublin, Kilkea is home to Victorian-era stone homes and a 12th-century castle of the same name. Run as a hotel and a golf course for decades, the castle and estate were recently sold and are now being renovated. It is also famous as the birthplace of Ernest Shackleton, the polar explorer.
Agent: David Ashmore, Sotheby’s International Realty
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