The Bottle Tower on Churchtown’s Whitehall Road is a commanding landmark. It was built in 1742 by Major Hall on land that had once been part of the estate of Rathfarnham Castle owned by William “Speaker” Conolly, one of the wealthiest men in Ireland at the time and whose other estates included Castletown House in Celbridge.The other landmark here is Castle Golf Club, one of the oldest parkland courses in the capital.
Castlepark is a small infill development of six, three-storey, semi-detached redbrick-fronted homes that back onto the golf course, giving the west-facing rear gardens plenty of privacy as the boundary is shielded by tall mature trees.
The scheme is by B&C Contractors, a Co Monaghan-based developer run by brothers Jim and Colm McBride. The business also has a construction side which recently built Carrickmines Green on the Glenamuck Road for Regency, and Coill Dubh for Bovale in Malahide. B&C also does boutique developments of its own and has built over 500 homes.
They’ve learned a lot by being both client and contractor, Jim explains. “Decisions can be fast-tracked – the houses at Castlepark were built in about six months, for example, and we can incorporate some of the good ideas we’ve used elsewhere.”
The houses are spacious with ceiling heights of 2.7m at entrance level and the smart AluClad Carlson windows are about 30 per cent bigger than standard flooding the rooms with light.
At hall level there is a formal square-shaped sitting room with a smart-looking electric fire to the front with a separate open plan kitchen to the rear giving families two distinct spaces in which to live. The kitchen has quartz countertops, an island-cum-breakfast bar that includes a pantry unit and a decent vented utility with radiator – ideal for airing clothes out of sight. There is a larder-style fridge and separate tall freezer (asking prices include all Bosh and Siemens appliances).
On the first floor there are two double bedroom and one single. The double to the front has an internal shower en suite. There is also a study to the front.
The second floor is a distinctly adult space and houses possibly the nicest room. The feature triangular-shaped window frames a view of the Luas bridge at Dundrum’s Taney Road. The front of the house faces east, making this a naturally-lit spot for a dressing table. The shower en suite bathroom is also naturally lit by a Velux window and a separate area has been hived off to fit a walk-in wardrobe, keeping the bedroom blissfully clutter free.
The showhouse, which has been designed by Elaine Jerrard of Elk House Interiors, features a tasteful scheme that has created a polished sense of home that doesn’t ever feel overdone.
The properties measure 165 sq m (1,776 sq ft) with prices ranging from €795,000 to €865,000 through agents DNG.
Last year the housebuilders completed Cottonwood, a scheme of five-bedroom detached properties on Castleknock’s Carpenterstown Road and a small scheme on Church Avenue in Sandymount, comprising a pair of four-bedroom semis and a detached property.
