Somervilla has Irish RM roots in Castletownshend

SOMERVILLA says a lot, even in its name. This Castletownshend west Cork house does indeed have direct links with the Somerville family of literary renown: it is villa-esque, and, well, it holds promises of summers-to-come too.

A new market arrival, it has just had a complete top-to-bottom overhaul, and has been put up for sale with Aidan Murphy of Town and Country Auctioneers in Skibbereen.

Somervilla is within picturesque Castletownshend, on the downwards slope as you enter the village.

Most of the houses here date to the 18th century, says Mr Murphy, and the just re-named Somervilla has long and noble roots, almost as deep as the original two trees in the road. Old and quite rare red stone, brought over from Horse Island, was used in its original construction, but is unseen behind render.

The house was, over a century ago, owned and occupied by members of the Somerville family, whose best known member is Dr Edith Somerville. She, along with her cousin, Violet Martin, wrote Experiences of an Irish RM, the Real Charlotte and other well-remembered works, as Somerville and Ross, with the Irish RM serialised for television.

Somervilla’s own rebirth goes to 2007, and in effect there’s a new house grafted on behind the original retained facade. It is a two-storey home of character and comfort, says its selling agent, Mr Murphy, and fits in four bedrooms, along with a traditional styled reception room with sash windows and window seats, an open plan and tiled ‘great room’ 29’ x 16’ and taking in kitchen, dining and a living space with wood-burner stove in pride of place, plus staircase, a good corridor of circulation area with garden access, guest WC, one of the four bedrooms is en suite, and the main wash room has a bath.

The property carries a ‘good value’ price tag of €825,000, and needs no further spending, with a kitchen mostly fitted out and including integrated appliances.

It has off-street car parking, with a long strip of graveled side drive. It is the only house on the main street to have any front lawn, while behind is a raised and stepped garden, landscaped with retained old stone boundary walls, and there are water views from the top of the garden.