Back to the future

GIVE it a few more years, a couple of creepers up the walls, and you won’t be able to tell if Beechmount House is original old, or cleverly copy-cat new.

It is, in fact, just four years old, but built with little regard to current high construction costs, conceived throughout on a generous scale.

Beechmount House is up on a hill above the main Cork-Kerry road at Ovens, about nine miles from Cork city and looking back this direction, on six acres of gardens and paddocks. The design palette is clearly classical and symmetrical Georgian: the portico has supporting Ionic columns and the wide steps up to the cast iron fanlight door with glazed side panels are made from cut limestone.

The roof is slate, and walls are thick and solid, as a result of the blocks being laid first on the flat, then on edge, creating walls deep enough to take window shutters if required and already splayed for such a purpose.

Dominic Daly is the selling agent, and he seeks offers around 1.5 million for this home of up to 5,000 sq ft, with living accommodation over three floors the attic is converted, with a full staircase access to the uppermost floor.

The estate agent expects serious interest in this property from "the professional classes". He and the vendors can take heart from the unconfirmed sale agreed in recent days of Carrig Cottage at Carrigrohane at this sort of 1.5 million price level. That modern home, viewed last year by Roy Keane and with a recent switch in selling agent to Jackson Stops in Dublin, is set to have a doctor in the house, according to local sources.

Ceiling heights at ground level are high, about 10' with very detailed cornice work in all the main reception rooms and at first floor level as well.

The entrance hall is wide and impressive, with reception rooms off to each side in front, while behind the large drawing room with white marble fireplace on the left through an arch is a very large kitchen/family dining space with Rayburn cooker, Belfast sink and oak units.

A large utility with guest loo is a handy kitchen back-hall back-up.

The formal dining room is at the rear of the house, with a motif of bunches of grapes as a cornice feature.

The main staircase runs up to the side of the house, turning with a tall landing window in the side gable, and this off-centre position has the benefit of allowing the hall to have full circulation space.

A second formal reception room is to the front of the house, on the right, useful as a family room or maybe for grown-up family as it has its own private built-in bar.

Up on the first floor, there are four good bedrooms, two with en suites, the master bedrooms has a dressing area room and the landing area is also spacious.

The high-quality hardwood staircase wends up to another level from this landing, picking up another section of the gable window on its way, and open to a large living space, ideal as a teenagers TV and games room, and has off it a 20' by 13' office plus a store room which could convert to a bathroom, making this high-level space ideal for an au pair or energetic granny.

Location is just west of Ovens, where the Ballincollig bypass is due within a year or so to speed travel to and from the city and suburbs.