Rambling house near the city has French connection

TAKE a secluded, woodland site on the south Cork coast, add 10 big houses and, hey presto, you’ve got Brookwood, on the Crosshaven Road.

This quiet and exclusive estate in a preserved setting of 78 acres, keeps a low, almost hidden profile and stone-built pillars are the only indication of this shrouded estate on the main road.

It would remain a secret save for some recent sales in the area, one at 8, Brookwood, which happened last year, and two this year.

Number 8 hit the late summer market in 2005 and the 3,000 square foot house netted a sale price in excess of its guide price of €1.25 million.

This time round, its neighbour, Bramble Lodge, is on the market and the price guide in this case is in excess of €2 million and, for those with a more modest budget, auctioneer Kieran McNamee has reached close to €900,000 for a more modest property at the start of the Brookwood row.

Bramble Lodge, however, is a rambling, 5,300 square foot house on a two acre site.

With French roof tiles and hefty Tudor beams for authenticity, as well as a landscaped garden, the size and style of this property is rare in the Cork market, says Carole Harris of Property Choice.

Other features in the house include French quartz flooring, Swedish windows and pine salvaged from Thompson Bakery in Cork.

Add to this the top of the range Italian bathroom fittings, the 1,100 square foot deck at the back and the mega-Aga in the kitchen and you have a house which defines the term ‘one-off’.

A property of this size is made for a family, so it’s no surprise the owners are downsizing now that the coop is fled, especially as they spend a lot of time abroad.

Taking into account the rarity of the site (there will be no other permissions for housing on the estate), the proximity to Crosshaven and its sailing facilities, as well as the short commute to the city, you have an unbeatable package for top tier buyers.

Brookwood is set high on a hill over the Owenabue estuary, but there aren’t any views as the mix of evergreen and deciduous trees block out the water below.

However, the dense canopy is to the north of the estate, giving a clear sunny aspect to the back, which this house and its other behemoth of a neighbour have capitalised on with large decks.

Bramble Lodge’s deck it comes with built-in seating and wraps around the south and west facing sunroom.