Semi-d a period charmer

HERE’S one to cherish ...

Quite largely in its original state, and certainly not mucked around with by the “improvements” sometimes imposed on older houses in and around the mid-1960s and since, is 35 Sunday’s Well Road, Cork city – a residence with almost 200 years of history.

A four-bed semi-detached with an 1820s pedigree, and a setting high above the River Lee near the city centre and hospitals, it comes fresh to market with estate agent Catherine McAuliffe of Savills, who seeks offers around €550,000 for the three-storey private home.

Its neighbour, No 34, a very differently configured four-storey roadside house, hit the market last summer guiding €450,000, which has since been reduced to €420,000 AMV by its agents Casey and Kingston.

This different and dearer offer with Savills, No 35 has had important underpinning and structural work done, but other than that, needs a tender, “age-appropriate” ministration to make the best use of its many retained period features.

Its time-worn feel is sensed from the private entry courtyard inwards (parking is outside on the public road), from its limestone steps, ornate tiling and cast iron rails, plus decorative porch finials, whilst inside most of the original architectural adornments are also in place, from coving and plaster cornice work and roses to fireplaces, and windows are sliding sash, for the most part.

At the rear, the grant-assisted conserved portion of a veranda and canopy also testify to a house of some quality, even if it now needs a bit of terrace living re-inventing. Here, living quarters are at entry level, past the inner hall, and include the interlinked front sitting room and drawing room, each with original fireplaces and different box/bow windows, ornate ceiling work and both have full southerly views over the sloping gardens, river Lee, Mardyke and UCC grounds.

The independent, rear kitchen plus lantern-roofed dining room is virtually self-contained and private.

The lower ground level has a large en suite master bedroom, with full-width garden/veranda access via two sets of French doors.

There are utility rooms down here also with access to the rear yard, stores and the southfacing gardens beyond. No 35’s perfumed garden doesn’t stretch all the way to the riverbank, it goes down in tiers about 100’.

No 35’s top floor has three bedrooms, two to the front with sash windows, and the main bathroom is on the first floor return.