A little piece of Empire where the sun never sets

Rose Martin finds a Victorian gem in Cobh which has been pragmatically restored for 21st century family living.

THE secret to a good house is detail - getting the finish right, even where it won't be noticed. And when you have an old house, that advice becomes doubly important.

Number 1, Norwood Villas, Rushbrooke, in Cobh, is an old house that's been done to a tee, but without changing the essence of the property.

In a town awash with period dwellings, the quality of this house makes it stand out.

Long the headquarters of the British Navy, Cobh has a wealth of properties running from the early Victorian period to late Edwardian villas, all built for the officials of an Empire upon which the sun never set.

And indeed, most of the houses face into the sun all day, as the elevated hillside on which the town is built, faces due south.

Now in the 21st century, a large scale building project at Ballynoe has seen a new wave of house building in Cobh, but mostly for first-time buyers.

This should guarantee the longevity of the town, but does little for the aesthetics of an urban area with a proud architectural history, courtesy of zealous, Victorian engineers.

Number 1, Norwood Villas, is a tall Victorian semi which has been at the receiving end of substantial investment in the last while - not just the house but in the gardens and entrance driveway as well.

Now, with its own side entrance off a winding access road, this property is hugely impressive on first viewing. The main doorway faces over Cobh, but the most used entrance-way is through the new conservatory at the side.

In perfect harmony with the house, the cathedral ceilings and double-glazed teak windows absorb light and heat which extends into the brand-new kitchen adjoining.

Featuring maple and granite, this room - with a dining area - has two windows overlooking the garden and access to the hallway and to a utility room, which in turn, leads into an enclosed yard and garden.

Some of the house's windows have been replaced with Marvin Windows and a new roof has been added, using the existing slate

However, there hasn't been slavish devotion to period here. It just wouldn't be sensible for a family with young children. And the renovations have brought the house up to 21st century standards.

For example, two of the bedrooms have had a little space pared off to create two en-suite rooms and cleverly, the floors were raised in both bathrooms to allow pipe access without having to destroy the floor and boards. Also, the heating is a modern pressurised gas system for storm force showering.

The main bathroom on the half- landing has been given a thoroughly modern makeover, and comes with blue mosaic tiling, chrome towel heater and fitted sink.

The reception rooms, meanwhile, haven't been changed at all and both have wonderful proportions.

The front room, in particular, faces full south and has views as far as Monkstown church across the harbour.

Both rooms have high ceilings and connect though double doors. Fireplaces are impressive: the back living room has an understated cast iron and slate fireplace with a hand- forged guard and to the front, the drawing room has a white marble fireplace and a bay window overlooking the garden. Furniture is luxurious but low-key, with a blue and yellow theme in one room and soft creams and browns in the other.

It's hard to imagine this house was in flats when purchased by the now vendors, and they point out the secret repairing of cornicing where the plasterboard divisions once were. To be fair, the house was delicately divided, they say, and it took little effort to restore it to its present state - an impressive property, both welcoming and unfussy. You can really relax here, and even though the house is very large, it's well designed without a lot of corridors, so rooms run into each other.

And let's not forget about the outside. When you consider that the boundary hedge is in bay laurel which costs about €35 per plant, you get some idea of the attention to detail.

Bring your kids here and they won't want to go, because apart from the high level of garden design, (pink azaleas and bluebells in a full flowering duet) there's a perfect playhouse as well as swings and slides.

For Mammy and Daddy, the raised patio outside the conservatory, with its classic, rectangular pond and outstanding views, is a balm after a stressful day.

The Rushbrooke property has been given a guide price of €600,000 by auctioneer, Joanna Murphy of Cobh.