Fairytale good looks

IT’S almost too good to be true - wonderful period house, superb decor and grounds that are achingly pretty - and it’s right next door to a castle.

Faerie Fort has fairytale good looks and nestles beside Barryscourt Castle, in Co Cork. Once on the old road to Carrigtwohill, it now sits under the bypass to the Midleton Parkway, but is a world away from the hustle and bustle.

It could now makes somebody’s midsummer dream home as the property is just on the market with Kevin O’Connell of Dan O’Connell and Co for offers in the region of €500,000.

Built in the early 1820s or thereabouts, the vendors have considerably upgraded the house in the last 17 years without changing its character.

In fact, they’ve added to the charm: the main block of the house was once single-storey, but a second floor was added which now provides three new bedrooms and a bathroom.

An extension at the side is an ensuite master bedroom that makes a large, king-sized bed look lost: also included is a full bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. The kitchen/sunroom addition runs full south along the back of the house and here there’s a hand-painted kitchen in Wedgwood blue and a huge square island unit. Worktops are all in solid cherry.

Walls have been stripped back to the original stone of the house and this gives a genuine, country feel to this most important room.

The sunroom is through an arch and this in turn gives access to the back garden. But perhaps the most important room on the ground floor is the main living room. Once two rooms on either side of the entrance doorway, this is now a long living space with antique fireplaces on either side and a staircase to the upper floor on the far wall.

Ideal for entertaining, the room has a real cottage feel and exposed beams in the white ceiling don’t look tacky, they add to the atmosphere. Shaded and cool on a sunny day, this room is ideal in winter and would probably shine at Christmas.

Off to the left hand side is a small study and at the opposite end, a door leads to a ground floor bathroom and to the master bedroom.

On the way, there’s a small utility/storage room and outside, the garden shed also houses the washer and dryer, with washing line discreetly out of the way and to hand.

The gardens are sublime, with three distinct seating areas to track the sun around, but perhaps the most spectacular is the large deck which surround a 15’ by 15’ wide garden pond - this is no mere plastic pool, but a water-lily covered, goldfish swimming oasis at the end of the garden.

Surrounded by mature trees and absolutely private, Faerie Fort is set in the protection belt of Barryscourt Castle, so there will be no further development close by the house.

With half and half dormers, decorative barges and a natural slate roof, (which even extends to the garden shed), this is a one-off property and viewings in our current weather should cast a spell on viewers of Faerie Fort.