Renovated East Cork home full of botanical rarities and charm

Inside the 2,400 sq ft Blake House are some lovely period features, such as the impressive entrance hall.

AROUND about now, the botanical oasis that is Fota Arboretum is gearing up for its most prolific season and, as soon as travel restrictions ease, we can savour its delights.

Less than 10km away, at Blake House, Ballinbrittig, a household need only stroll around its own 1.3 acres of gardens for a taste of what’s on offer at Fota, thanks to the homeowner’s passion for collecting rare and beautiful plants.

He acquired some spectacular specimens during his travels, from countries such as Japan, the US and the United Arab Emirates, to name but a few.

Among them is the Wedding Cake tree, so-called because of its striking tiered form and its creamy white leaves, as well as the extremely rare Davada Handkerchief Tree, whose name arises from the white blossoms that hang in rows beneath its branches. The latter was first spotted by a missionary in China in the mid-19th century and it took another 35 years before its seeds made it back to this side of the world. We can expect to see it in flower in Fota in May, while the buyer of Blake House can enjoy the annual spectacle without ever leaving home.

James Colbert of Colbert & Co Auctioneers describes the gardens at Blake House in Carrigtwohill as “a spectacular floral showcase, right down to the circular hedging to the front of the house, where there are four separate small hedges precisely placed to resemble a compass”.

He says the entrance and driveway to the house were designed to create a reveal — with just a sneak peek of Blake House through the trees, which include silvery birches that sparkle in sunlight, as well as tulip trees and Turkish Hazel.

The passion invested in the garden was replicated in the house. Mr Colbert says that, when the current owners bought it in 1996, it had been a derelict shell for 17 years, accessible only through the windows. They set about transforming the Georgian-style home, which was built in the 1850s (coincidentally around the time the Handkerchief Tree was first spotted by a westerner in China).

They carried out a “complete renovation”, Mr Colbert says, with the owner even taking four months off work to oversee the project.

“All the walls were studded and insulated, new floors were laid, new heating and electrical systems installed,” Mr Colbert says, adding that “even each of the 12 windows to the front of the property was specially made”. 

“It was a labour of love for the current owners and this is abundantly clear throughout,” the agent says.

Inside the 2,400 sq ft Blake House, there are some lovely period features, such as the impressive entrance hall and the 12” high ceilings. The owners held on to the original handrail on the stairs and, as Mr Colbert points out, it “curves elegantly around the split landing”.

This mid-landing hosts a large family bathroom and upstairs there are four very spacious bedrooms, all doubles, with two bespoke windows in each of the three front bedrooms, and views out over rolling green fields towards Glounthaune.

Back on the ground floor, there are two large reception rooms, one for dining and the other a lovely living room with feature fireplace and fitted stove. Views are bucolic.

The country-style kitchen has a feature red-brick wall, with pride of place reserved for a dark green Rayburn range cooker, which generates terrific heat. A pantry adjacent to the kitchen creates extra storage space and there is also a utility room.

A ground-floor family bathroom completes the downstairs.

Back outside, in addition to the specialist planting, there’s a more obvious bonus, in the form of a 700 sq ft two-bed original Coach House, complete with fitted kitchen, living room, bathroom and a potential office area overlooking a vegetable garden. It’s the perfect spot for guests or perhaps for generating income through rental (AirBnB anyone?). 

If the new owners chose to use it as an income-spinner, they will still have a remote-working space because the current owner added his own office with separate access outside of the main house — with “fantastic wifi”, Mr Colbert says.

Additional add-ons at the Blake House include an electric car charging point and a gorgeous patio set on an elevated perch to the side of the house — just about the perfect spot for catching those late evening rays.

The whole substantial package is on the market with a guide price of €575,000 and Mr Colbert says the interest it is generating is “off the charts”.

In the space of a single day this week, he fielded 43 telephone enquiries and 22 emails in relation to Blake House.

“Some of them were local, some were from the UK. I conducted interactive tours with a couple of families. One couple was willing to bid,” he says.

He is not surprised that the property has generated such enthusiasm.

He describes Blake House as “one of the most beautiful looking homes in East Cork”, ideal for country living, but still just a 15-minute drive from Cork City, with easy access to the N25 and close to the Jack Lynch Tunnel and to the train station in Carrigtwohill.

VERDICT: Worth going out on a limb to put down roots in this sylvan setting.

• €575,000 
• Size: 288 sq m (3,100 sq ft) 
• Bedrooms: 4 + 2 
• Bathrooms: 2 + 1 
• BER: Exempt