Durrus delight delivers

FOR those with a view to a permanent residence, or a high-spec holiday home, then this property on the outskirts of Durrus should be a runner.

The house at Ardogeena, was built in 2000 to a simple, but clever design. The combined brainchild of a couple with a background in art, architecture and surveying, this stone-faced house offers a spacious, 3,000 or so square feet of space, but also comes with an undeveloped attic.

However, it’s the quiet location, the lush acre of gardens and the level of finish that puts this property on the top tier of west Cork offerings this summer.

On the market with Eilís Cohalan of SWS Skibbereen, it’s a headache-free buy, she says.

Minutes from Durrus village and a short drive to Bantry, Skibbereen is within a short commute.

The property is an hour and a half’s drive from Cork city.

Right now, it’s configured so that there are two, large bedrooms, but the property includes a study and studio which would offer two more rooms and that’s without accessing the space in the attic, which offers around 400 sq ft in total.

The contours of the site were used cleverly to provide a split level living space —— the main entrance hall is in line with the entrance driveway and road and extends into a corridor running north to south. Below this and a couple of steps down, is the main living, kitchen, dining room which runs from south to west and has stunning views over the waters of Dunmanus Bay with Hungry Hill in the distance.

And while it looks like a high-level, stone dormer from the outside, the internal layout of the property is a total break from predictability.

For instance, the back wall has been taken out completely and supported by steel beams extended outwards to provide a long, internalised sunroom.

This extruded space frames a painterly view of the bay and hills beyond, with the mature garden in the foreground.

Overhead, a line of narrow windows add more light and add to the effect of the full height ceiling, while providing passive solar gain at the same time.

The living space is divided by furniture, rather than walls and there is no chimney breast.

Instead, an imported and very expensive stove sits on the northern wall creating a focal point in its own right.

The glass, light and air blurs the division between outdoors and in, making a very healthy and bright home, even on a gloomy day.

And the gardens at Ardogeena are in show condition, with enough maturity to need just basic housekeeping, instead of continual heavy maintenance.

The property, in all its seclusion, is on the market at €950,000 through SWS Property Services.