“Just walk up the Metals from the People’s Park and you’re there.”
If those directions leave you a bit confused as to how to get to Number 12 Summerhill Road, you’re probably not from the Dún Laoghaire/Glasthule area.
The Metals is the popular name for the old atmospheric railway that runs from Dalkey to Dún Laoghaire. It was used in Victorian times to transport stone from Dalkey Quarry to build the harbour at Kingstown. The last atmospheric train ran in 1854, and it is now a popular walking and cycling route alongside the modern railway line.
Number 12 Summerhill Road, a handsome two-storey over basement period home, sits regally right beside the Metals, at the end of a fine Victorian terrace.
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There’s there’s parking for several cars in the front drive, although the cars may not get much of a run-out as the house is just across the road from the Sandycove/Glasthule Dart station, and handily situated between Glasthule village and Dún Laoghaire town centre.
The artisan food shops of Glasthule and the Forty Foot in Sandycove are a short walk in one direction, and in the other direction is the popular People’s Park, where you can shop in the weekly farmers’ market. You’re also close to Dún Laoghaire pier, not to mention the Pavilion Theatre and the DLR Lexicon library.
Going up a flight of granite steps to the front door of Number 12, you enter a superbly restored double-fronted home with many of the period features intact, including sash windows, working shutters, ceiling coving, cornice work and ceiling roses.
An impressive entrance hall greets you with polished marble floors and intricate ceiling cornicing. To the left are the formal reception rooms, with matching marble feature fireplaces and 12ft high ceilings, interconnected by a big ornate archway.
Most Victorian homes have their kitchen/living area in the basement, which can make many of these houses feel disconnected, but the trend is now towards bringing the kitchen/living area upstairs to maximise the light and views, and make the home feel more joined up.
To the right of the entrance hall is the kitchen-dining area, and it is lovely and bright, running the depth of the house, and featuring a great blend of old and new. The kitchen features black granite countertops, white timber wall and floor units, Neff appliances and a magnificent triangular centre island complete with dishwasher and wine cooler. The diningroom has a feature marble fireplace and solid wood floor.
This part of the house is triple aspect, with lovely views out to Dalkey and Killiney Hill at one end and towards Dublin Bay at the other, and over the Metals and train tracks from the side. The ambience is punctuated every now and then by the trundling of Dart trains and the odd Rosslare Europort express; new owners might decide to put double glazing in this part of the house to really eliminate any outside sounds.
French doors at the back of the kitchen lead out on to a decked terrace where you can enjoy your breakfast and look out towards the sea. From there steps run down to a small, private rear courtyard with access to the Metals from a secure back gate.
There are four generously sized double bedrooms upstairs, with large built-in wardrobes, and lush furnishings giving that air of elegance you get with a tastefully restored Victorian house. Light permeates every room, and the views from here are stunning, with the back bedrooms looking out across the entire sweep of Dublin Bay, from Howth Head to Dalkey Island. Three of the bedrooms are en suite, and there’s a big family bathroom on the return.
So, with the kitchen/dining area moved upstairs, what’s been done with the basement? That is left open to the new owners to decide. The rooms have been refurbished, but otherwise left empty.
There’s scope to turn the entire basement into a separate apartment with its own entrance out the front, or you could simply put in gym equipment, set up a yoga room or turn it into a teenagers’ den, leaving the rest of the house free for you to enjoy in peace. The choice is yours.
Number 12 Summerhill Road, extending to 358sq m (3,853sq ft), with a B3 energy rating, is on sale through SherryFitzGerald asking €1.995 million.
