A country retreat with all the added extras

ONE of the earlier wave of Continental buyers took over Crohana House a quarter of a century ago, and has spent the intervening period happily living in Ireland and gradually improving this discretely set Benettsbridge, Kilkenny property.

The gradual pace of renovations has worked to Crohana’s benefit - it doesn’t have the feel of a place done on an instant TV-style makeover.

Instead, the mid-1800s built Noreside country home, on 34 acres with fishing and hunting rights, looks like a place that is comfortable with its age - and comfortable to live in.

Its vendor is a German businessman, who bought back in the 1970s and for whom it was a family home.

On offer with David Ashmore of HOK Country, it has a 1.65 million price guide, its worth bolstered by proximity to Mount Juliet (four miles,) Kilkenny (eight miles) and almost equal distance to both Dublin and Cork cities and airports (about 80 miles apiece.

Extra attractions for country living include a mile of single bank Nore fishing rights, exclusive shooting rights over 220 acres, local hunts and races, golf, and closer to home superb sheltering grounds of 34 acres, a courtyard with lofted buildings, a walled garden with herb beds, glass house, a water feature and an outdoor swimming pool complex, in a landscaped setting and said to be toddler-proof.

The swimming pool set-up includes sauna, changing rooms and plant room, and alongside is a fitted barbecue with winch grill.

Clearly the country lifestyle presumes that there is game to be caught, killed and cooked: the sales brochure description of the stone courtyard buildings describes a portion as an abbatoir.

The drive approach to this modest splendour (abbatoir notwithstanding) is through mature parkland and fringing woodland, coming up by the side of the limestone-faced house.

This gravelled drive nips around the front, with a neatly symmetrical facade with canopy-like cover over the two ground floor bay windows and Georgian front door and fanlight.

Principal rooms are off the hall, and include a drawing room with decorative plasterwork, wood floor and marble fireplace, dining room 39’ by 14’ across the entire east elevation, adapted from two earlier smaller rooms, and a breakfast room.

The kitchen has a Rayburn oven in a brick chimney, and a guest annexe added on as a later addition has a second kitchen with Staney oven.

The main portion of the residence has five bedrooms, one with dressing room and private bathroom, another bedroom has a shower room alongside, once part of the main bathroom, and several bedrooms have wash basins.

In addition, the guest wing to the northern elevation has halls, drying room, store, one/two bedrooms with one a possible reception room, bathroom and kitchen.

This guest section has both internal and external access, and the house has a secondary staircase and even a lift to its first floor.

Renovations include the big jobs, like re-roofing, rewiring and enhanced plumbing, with a selection of bathrooms for contemporary comforts, and even that outdoor pool for the hardy.

One of the joys of this country retreat is the grounds, with wending stone-channelled water feature, central island, stone bridge and even waterfall, the mix of parkland and woodland vistas, and enough stone outbuildings to keep a hobby-minded new owner happy and busy for another 25 years.