Oldenburg is big and so gorgeous

IT'S remarkable to come upon camellias in full bloom in January, but then, hearing the hum of a lawnmower as you approach this house in Cobh, Co Cork, speaks for itself.

Oldenburg is one of those big, old gorgeous houses that the town is famous for, and here on the Lower Road, there's a very special micro climate at well.

Dug into the north face of a hill, these 1850s houses are sheltered by its bulk on one side and bask in the sunlight to the front: the sea just across the road ensures no frost, except in the toughest of winters.