Country charm without the twee

Just when you think it couldn't get any prettier, Rocky Valley Drive winds round a bend, and you're confounded with more. On a bright spring day, the Wicklow peaks are dusted with snow, while on the other side, down the valley to the east, stretches out the sea.

With all this loveliness it would be a shame to find a house that was anything less than utterly charming, and Carrig Cottage, which is for sale with Sherry FitzGerald for €645,000, doesn't disappoint.

The oldest part of this rambling cottage goes back to 1780, when it was a hill farmer’s or crofter’s cottage.

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The present owners, who have lived here for almost 30 years, extended and renovated, so that now it is a 175sq m (1,888sq ft), three- to four-bedroomed house, where there doesn’t seem to be a single straight wall or right angle, and that doesn’t seem to matter at all.

Everything is well done and well cared for, including the rambling gardens with lawns, lanes and walks, unusual plants, a pond, and seating areas to take advantage of those glorious views.

Inside, it’s highly insulated, beautifully finished, and the vibe is country charm without the accompanying twee.

Bedrooms are reached down a corridor off the livingroom/ diningroom: a large master with an en suite, and three smaller ones, one of which currently houses a sauna.

The gardens extend on the other side of a small cul de sac, and there’s also a studio there – ideal for anyone who wants even more peace and quiet than the house already affords.

Even though the whole thing is suffused with that away-from-it-all calm, you can drive to the Dart in under 20 minutes, the N11 is just down the hill, and the owners say you can walk down to Avoca Handweavers for your lunch in 20 minutes.

The walk back up means that even the heartiest lunch is accounted for.

As an added bonus, you even get the occasional free fireworks show, at Powerscourt House, just across the valley.