Edwardian grandeur

GOOD 20th century houses aren't common in Cork city, and in fact even the supply of quality Georgian and Victorian homes are in short supply especially compared to Dublin.

While still in need of upgrading, an Edwardian house which can hold its head up with the best is Kenilworth. It is one of eight or so large family homes of distinction all in a row, on the southern city's Douglas Road and they date to the very early 1900s.

It has 3,200 sq ft of space, with six bedrooms on the first and second floors, and it comes on a site of half an acre, with seemingly enough space in its back garden for a tennis court.

These houses, likely to have been designed by the architect Arthur Hill, are solidly Edwardian in style, and some have varying degrees of arts and crafts interior features.

Similar Edwardian houses of stature, and possibly from the same architectural pattern book, can be found on only in small handfuls on the Marina (blackrock village end), by Wellingtown Bridge, at St Luke's Cross (Herbert Park), at Ardfoyle on the Blackrock Road (where one sold in recent days for over €650,000), Well Road and College Road.

Not very surprisingly, none of those well-chosen addresses has since gone out of buying fashion.

Kenilworth is situated behind a sturdy limestone wall with curved entrance pillars, and has its name discretely on an Arts and Crafts brass plaque.

The limestone wall runs across all eight houses (four them semi-detached), from the entrance to Douglas swimming pool to the new development Ardfallen Mall beside the Briar Rose pub.

It is on the market with estate agent John D Sullivan, who gives it a €750,000 price guide.

It has been owned for decades by members of well-known Cork medical dynasty, the Kielys; home to old Professor Kiely, who lived to around 100 years of age about the same age as this house now is.

It has plenty of space. Some of the largest rooms are the bedrooms, and two first-floor bedrooms are over 30' by 14' each.

The place needs work, and will clearly swallow cash given its size, but the relative privacy and generosity of space internally and externally will certainly repay further investment.

Two detached neighbouring homes, Redgarth and Ilfracombe, are among the most coveted homes in Cork city.

Also currently on the Douglas market are a house at Woodview and the former Church of Ireland rectory, both of which will be bid strongly above their €800,000-plus and €700,000-plus initial price guides.

Of the three, Kenilworth is closest to town, within walking distance, but the other two are in quieter settings. The nearby Ardfallen Mall, on the old garage site next to the Briar Rose pub, is currently being developed.

The back of Kenilworth looks over toward the old Douglas nurseries, now a municipal swimming pool where plans are afoot for a multi-million euro upgrade.

Accommodation at this fine home includes reception hall, lounge, dining room, sitting room, kitchen and service rooms, plus a bathroom.

It does need the services of a good architect to open up the rooms more to give the sort of quality space a house of this size and location merits.