Georgian country properties within striking distance of Dublin are currently very much in vogue, particularly if they are being sold in good condition.
Downings House, in Prosperous, Co Kildare, a five-bedroom country house with 11 acres and a guest cottage is for sale jointly through Jackson Stops and Coonan. Being only 23 miles from Dublin it is within comfortable commuting distance of the capital. The agents are seeking offers in excess of £700,000.
As you'd expect from a house of this age, it comes with a great deal of history. The original Queen Anne house on the site was burned down in 1798 and the current house was built with compensation money from Grattan's parliament. Mindful of the house's recent history, the then owners installed a security system that make today's electronic gizmo systems look like toys.
The first floor was made inaccessible thanks to a dry moat, iron bars secured the basement windows and all doors and windows had double drawbars inside sturdy shutters. For a quick getaway, there is an underground tunnel about 70 yards long that leads into the middle of the woods.
In 1926, the Land Commission divided the estate and the present owner's father bought Downings House in 1928. The house features a typically grand reception area with some impressive plasterwork that is a feature of all the main rooms. There is a large study that has been fitted out with shelves but the really spectacular room is the long drawingroom with its original Adam fireplace with a Clarks surround. The kitchen has been fitted with mahogany units and there is an Aga and a breakfast area. What was originally a boot room is now a well appointed utility room. Upstairs, there are five double bedrooms and two separate bathrooms. Recent renovation means that three of them have en suites and the main bedroom has a dressing room and its own full size bathroom. Most of the bedrooms have open fires and their original white marble mantelpieces.
The house has a basement which has high ceilings, flagstone floors, a wine cellar and two staff rooms. The two-bedroom guest cottage in the grounds should be a strong selling point. It has been recently restored. There are various outbuildings as you'd expect from a house of this size, including part of a courtyard, workshops and loose boxes. The land is divided into about five acres of grounds and driveway and six acres of paddocks.
