Greybrook: setting the tone for a colourful life

BUILT about a quarter century ago, as an early timber framed house by (the then-pioneering) Noel Parkes, Windsor Meadows is a house in superb condition inside and out, on a prized and private 0.6 acre site just west of Cork city in Waterfall.

Its original and caring owners are now vendors, and they are trading down from this 3,300 sq ft family home, says auctioneer Barry Smith of James G Coughlan Associates. He pins a €975,000 asking price to Windsor Meadows in Greybrook, a mile or so beyond O’Shea’s pub in evolving Waterfall. This region, a few country miles drive from Bishopstown, is noted for the number of large ‘executive’ detached homes on good sites. Now, though, planning is tight, and building is confined to new developments, one-offs like this are rare and consequently carry a premium.

It has breathing space, thanks to its site size, and for those into the country life, it comes with stabling for a pony (but not enough grazing ground) and kennels.

The back of the house, with its loggia-like patios and sheltered brick barbecue area, faces west, and there’s a sweep of graveled drive to the front, where the dormer house has a bit of distinction granted to it with its six-column colonnade.

Most of the rooms inside are a good size, including the main hall, the 20’ by 15’ kitchen with window bay and oak units, and the kitchen/dining and other rooms have exposed wood beams in the ceiling. Reception rooms include a sitting room with vaulted and beamed ceiling and an open fireplace, with a bar area off, a family room, plus a study with half-panelled walls.

There’s a ground floor bedroom, with adjoining bathroom with sunken bath, and part of the ground floor can be used almost as a self-contained suite, for granny/grand-dad flat, au pair, and has an en suite bedroom, plus living room, and has its own external access. Overhead, the master bedroom has its own en suite bathroom with shower, another of the four first floor bedrooms is also en suite. There’s also a main bathroom, a play room, and a large landing area, with spacious airing press.