Pembroke Estate, which was the largest family-owned estate in Co Dublin, was renowned for its dainty yet robust workmen’s cottages.
Constructed around the 1890s, Pembroke Cottages, located in a quiet enclave to the rear of the site of the former Kiely’s Pub in Donnybrook, is now a popular spot for both downsizers and first-time buyers alike.
Its location offers a great sense of privacy and peace, yet is so close to amenities, such as the 32 acres at Herbert Park, Donnybrook village and a host of restaurants in nearby Ranelagh and Ballsbridge.
Prices can vary greatly depending on condition and size, and many of these properties have had clever renovations that has seen some of them double in size.
This is true of number 88 Pembroke Cottages. It is listed on the Property Price Register as having sold in 2014 for €335.000. But at that time it measured just 39.7sq m (428sq ft). By digging down into the earth beneath, essentially lowering the ground floor, it allowed a full bedroom and bathroom upstairs, so the property now has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has also almost doubled in size to its current measurement of 73sq m (785sq ft).
An air-to-water heating system, underfloor heating and buckets of insulation have helped to give a much improved Ber rating of B3. “Our engineer, Pat Ginty (who designed the full renovation and extension), was really forward thinking at the time. As he was very environmentally aware he suggested air-to-water heating and underfloor heating systems, which I wasn’t fully aware of a decade ago,” says the owner.
Inside the split-level house, a set of stairs leads up to the new bedroom and bathroom, where lots of storage lies in the eaves. Five steps down from the front door leads to the livingroom, which has a wall of built-in units alongside an original open fire.
From here another set of steps leads up to a kitchen that is flooded with light due to the addition of a roof light over the countertops. It’s all very streamlined here thanks to the Quooker tap, which has hot, cold and sparkling water functions, so negates the need for a kettle.
To the rear lies a small courtyard, accessed from the dining area. As much of the original garden was sacrificed to the extension, it’s a small enough space, but with 32 acres of Herbert Park on the doorstep, that was the trade-off for a bigger home.
The owner is moving to another project in Ranelagh, and has placed her home, in walk-in condition, on the market through Young’s Estate Agents seeking €695,000.
