To the manor born

NOT quite the Cotswolds - but Cotswold stone makes this Kells house a little bit of England in Co Kilkenny.

Imagine the expense of importing the building material all that way - but the owner wanted to do something special, says estate agent, Peter McCreery, and the finished product shows that he got it right.

Appropriately enough, the property on its level, eight acre site is called 'Kilree Hall,' and it has all the hallmarks of the country manor - natural slate finish, a sweeping driveway with imposing piers and gates, and deciduous plantings that should off-set the house beautifully when mature.