Monday, March 22, 2010 Previous editions
Saturday, August 29, 2009
AN absolutely great woodland garden, on some two and a half acres, in a "Golden Mile" setting along the Bandon river, comes with Shanagore House.<
This mid-1900s brick-faced home is a fine size for any growing family. But, in truth, its gorgeous grounds are where anyone young and lively, or older and into gardening and tranquillity, will most want to be.
The house, new to market and in the same family’s hands since the early 1980s, is at Shippool, a mile or two down river from Innishannon village, and five or six miles from Kinsale by road or river.
This winding, tidal stretch of woodland valley is a visual stunner, with just a small handful of homes along its reaches. The very fortunate have water frontage, but there’s only a small number so blessed: among them is Innishannon House Hotel, now set for extension, is among them.
Shangore House is on the inland or uphill side of the road, near the ruins of Shippool castle and its woodland walk, and is wholly hidden from view from the road below. You might hear passing traffic, but you don’t see it, and from some of its upstairs rooms you can make out the glisten of sun on water on the river Bandon.
The family selling here have a few canoes for disporting on the Bandon, and this is a setting where the river aspect jostles for leisure time with the grounds. There’s half an acre or more of lawns around Shanagore House, with several more acres in dense woodland and an array of evergreens backing up behind and to the sides.
Fauna includes squirrels, among the more obvious suspects, and the private woods lead back to the old Innishannon road and country walks behind. Directly in front on the detached two-storey property, meanwhile, is a series of stone terraces for sitting out and admiring the greenery. Selling agent for Shanagore House is Brendan Bowe, who knows the very special nature of the setting, and so is confident of his €925,000 price guide. "The grounds are just spectacular, and house sales along here only very rarely crop up, this is a prize offering," he says.
Shanagore House has around 2,500 sq ft of space, with up to six first floor bedrooms, one of which is a part of a side extension and is en suite.
Downstairs, the layout is a bit unusual, in that there really isn’t an entry hall in the traditional sense, you come in through a room used as dining room, and then onto a back hall and central hall with staircase — but no real front door to be seen.
There’s a fine formal quality drawing room, with dining option just off the recently upgraded bright kitchen, as well as a well-placed conservatory to the end of the house, while adding further to the space and rooms tally is a private den or study off the drawing room, and both of these rooms have pleasant simple fireplaces in slender brickwork.
The house overall needs some modernisation and brightening up of some of its dark decor, but nothing has to be done in any hurry.
And, as the site is just so good, so beguiling and with secret areas for walks, gazebos and treehouses, Shanagore just might justify putting a truly special one-off house here as an indulgence.
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