This is a house with a life, surrounded by .44 acres of garden. The vendor, who is downsizing after rearing a family of six here, admits Kilmantain is “not the kind of house you want to leave on Bank holidays”. You know what she means. Granite built, rambling and enclosed by gardens high with old trees, hedging, hollies and ivy, Kilmantain inhabits a pleasant, self-contained world.
Not that it is isolated; just nicely secluded as one of four houses served by Verbena Avenue, off Westminster Road. Built at the turn of the 20th century, Kilmantain has cut granite walls, lintels and bay of Dolphins Barn brick and 2,520sq ft (234sq m) of floor space laid out in an architectural style very much of its time. Sherry FitzGerald will auction Kilmantain on Wednesday, May 21st. The advised minimum value (AMV) is €1,350,000.
An interesting, period fireplace in the large drawingroom has a delicately carved wood surround with marble and brass insets while a tall, deep box window at one end of the room gives both light and garden views. A matching box window overhead brings similar advantages to the main bedroom. To the other side of the drawingroom there is an old-style sunroom where three walls of window have deep, wooden sills.
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The dining room, central on the ground floor, has original cornicing bordering a high ceiling – the latter are common throughout the house – and a picture window. A new owner might want to modernise the kitchen/breakfastroom, a long room to the rear with large wood-framed picture windows overlooking the gardens. A cocoon-like sittingroom with a feature paned-glass window has an open fireplace with wood and slate surround.
The only major change made by the vendor in almost 30 years: two walls of window and an en suite shower added to a side room, makes a cheerful playroom. A home office/computer room sits conveniently next door.
The first-floor landing has a tall window. All five bedrooms have built-in wardrobes and lots of light thanks to similar, decent-sized windows. Even the single, family bathroom gets natural light from a tall window. There are five stone-built sheds in the garden, which has a botanical array of old trees and an outside toilet.
