Slane/from €335,000: Sixteen houses built on the 13-acre home of Slane Castle's gamekeeper go for sale today in Slane, Co Meath. Kate McMorrow reports
Sherry FitzGerald New Homes is now taking bookings for 12 four bedroom semis and four three-bed townhouses at Castle Garden, with a showhouse open for viewing on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Prices start at €335,000 for good-sized 102sq m (1,100sq ft) three-bed townhouses and €375,000 for 112sq m (1,200sq ft) four-bedroom semis.
Two larger four-bedroom houses with 149sq m (1,600sq ft) of space cost from €450,000. Adding a conservatory to the kitchen/diningroom area will cost an extra €20,000. Completions are expected in early 2007.
The prime 13-acre site was the home of the gamekeeper for Slane Estate. The old house is undergoing restoration and will be sold in the autumn, along with a small number of five-bedroom houses in the walled garden.
Castle Garden is on the edge of the village on the road to Navan, facing the estate walls and bounded in part by woods belonging to the castle.
The developer is Tony Murray of Slane Development Company, a subsidiary of Lark Developments. Architects are Building Consultancy Group.
Design restrictions have been imposed on this Slane scheme which have benefited the overall look of the houses here. Quaint dormer windows in solid teak have a village appearance and red brick soldier courses above the windows match the chimney pots of the old house. Gutters and soffits are aluminium.
Some houses are half stone-faced, others all dash and painted cream. Front gardens come fully landscaped, with a patch of lawn, flower beds and a beech hedge dividing the properties. Windows at the rear are wood-look uPVC.
All the houses have back gardens and a terrace is provided with the townhouses.
Interiors by Enfield company Wild Things emphasise the country look, with colourful bed canopies and quirky accessories. A typical four-bedroom house opens to a hallway, with a kitchen/diningroom off to the left.
Kitchen units are solid oak, with a steel extractor fan and splashback. Appliances are not included. There is room for a large table and chairs at the dining end. The showhouse features an optional conservatory which adds a useful family sittingroom.
There is also a smallish sittingroom with painted wood open fireplace, a guest bedroom with wardrobes, utility room, downstairs toilet and understairs storage. The staircase curves to an airy landing, with three bedrooms and the family bathroom off this. None of the bedrooms are huge, although dormer windows make an attractive feature in each room. Wardrobes are supplied. An en suite shower room leads off the largest room.
The two larger four-bed semis have the kitchen/diningroom spanning the back, a front sittingroom and a downstairs study. Three-bedroom houses include a front sittingroom, kitchen/diningroom to the rear and an en suite bathroom off the largest bedroom.
An abundance of open spaces include green areas, paved walkways and outdoor seating. Annual management charges are just under €200 for all the houses. An off-peak car journey to the quays takes about 50 minutes. City commuters can also catch buses from Monaghan and Derry which stop in the village. Viewing is from 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
