A large six-bedroom detached house on almost an acre of grounds at Bray Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18, is to be auctioned by Spain Courtney Doyle on 18th October next. Interest in New Park, which has frontage on both Bray Road and Newtownpark Avenue, is likely to centre on the development potential of the house and 0.8 acre garden, which carries a guide price of £2.25 million.
Permission has been granted for a new entrance off Newtownpark Avenue, which would facilitate any future development. At present, cars exiting from the existing gates on Bray Road are obliged to turn left on to the dual-carriageway. New Park was built in the 1930s in art deco style and is in superbly preserved original condition. Three families have lived in the house since then and the present owners have been in residence for 35 years.
Its ample 3,634 sq ft of accommodation would suit a variety of modern-day uses such as corporate headquarters or private nursing home.
Most noticeable among the 1930s features is the abundant use of walnut veneer in fittings throughout the house. Facing the front door across a parquet-floored entrance hall is a built-in walnut cocktail bar and cloaks cupboard. A guest lavatory and cloakroom and a cosy study currently used as a family room are off the hallway.
The drawingroom, which looks out on a side garden, has a bay window and a Georgian marble fireplace with brass grate. To the right of the entrance hall is a long diningroom with a full-length wall mirror in the far alcove.
This room could be opened out into the curve-walled double garage next door without too much effort.
The working area is at the back of the house, with doors to a terrace and the orchard and vegetable garden. A terrazzo-tiled kitchen has plenty of fitted units and includes Miele and Neff electrical equipment. Unusually, the central-heating units are ceiling-mounted. A suite of rooms off the kitchen could be adapted for use as guest accommodation. There is a large cupboarded playroom off the kitchen, which was well-used when the family were small. Next to this is a utility room and separate shelved laundry room. A downstairs bedroom formerly used as a maid's room has fitted wardrobes and an en suite shower room.
The original mahogany and glass staircase is well-lit by a tall window at return level. Upstairs, the five bedrooms are laid out so that no bedroom directly adjoins another. The main bedroom has original walnut veneer wardrobes with beautifully-fitted-out interiors. There is an en suite bathroom off this and a separate dressingroom fitted with walnut cupboards.
A second double bedroom has built-in curved wardrobes and a door to an adjoining child's room, which would convert to an en suite bathroom or dressingroom. Another double room has a built-in wardrobe and dressing-table unit and a tiled fireplace; a fifth upstairs bedroom has wardrobes and fitted shelves. The family bathroom is also at this level.
Outside, the gardens which surround the house are meticulously kept and very mature. To the front of the house there is a driveway curving around a lawn with flowerbeds.
Mature beech hedges surround the very large lawn, the central feature of which is a 150-year-old beech tree. Through a beech tunnel is the kitchen garden, with apple and pear trees, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry and gooseberry bushes. A greenhouse, two garages and a garden shed are included.
