The fate of Milverton on leafy Herbert Park Road in Dublin 4 has proved something of a mystery since the Crampton-built Edwardian home was purchased in October 2013 at auction by a solicitor in trust for a mystery client.

At €4.6 million, it was the seventh most expensive home sold in Dublin that year. Last sold in 2005 for more than €8 million by the Hardy family, it enjoys an idyllic setting, fronting on to the tree-lined avenue of Herbert Park Road, bounded by scenic Herbert Park and close to Donnybrook and Ballsbridge villages. Following the auction, scaffolding was erected around the house for approximately six months, presumably to address and rectify some issues of water ingress and internal plaster damage. But no major structural upgrade took place.

In late November last year a planning application was submitted by architects Sheehan & Barry that would see Milverton enlarged from 380sq m to 460sq m with new zinc and granite clad flat-roofed modern extensions.

On the planning application a John Marks states that he is the freehold owner of Milverton. The proposed changes include the addition of a study at ground floor level, along with an extended kitchen cum living and diningroom, with large Crittall steel windows and doors opening up to the magnificent rear garden.

However, within five days of submitting the application, the architects withdrew it on December 1st and no new application has been lodged since. Only time will tell how much longer before Milverton gets its long- awaited refurbishment.