House of the week

There might be a temptation when coming home to Northbrook to go an extra mile or two past its gates — some of Cork’s most accessible beaches, such as Fountainstown and Myrtleville are just further out along the road.

Cork families used to day-trips to the seaside might be familiar with the glimpses of Northbrook, up at French Furze just above the Carrigaline-Crosshaven road. It’s sort of the setting where you know the countryside is about to turn into the seaside.

And, it can all become homeside and fireside, as this mid-1900s architect-designed family home, with extensions and on three-quarters of an acre with a lovely rural feel behind is now for sale, priced at a manageable trading up level of €395,000 by its selling agent Roy Dennehy in Carrigaline.

It’s got good space, punching in at around 2,700 sq ft, but most of that is at ground level, especially thanks to a smashing 600’ sq ft, 32’ by 18’ family room the full width of the rear of the house. With its sloping ceilings, terrace access and garden views, it fits in space enough for a pool table, large sofas around a wall-mounted contemporary electric fireplace and a dining table by a corner window.

It’s the making of the house in many ways, linking back in as it does via attractive arches and supporting circular columns and French doors to the other main reception rooms, such as the 18’ by 12’ sitting-room, or the smaller dining-room. The older rooms, and the bedrooms, have old pine floors, the hall has mahogany woodblock floor, and the simple kitchen has a tiled floor and cream units.

Also at ground level off the kitchen via an arch is a utility-room, off that is a shower-room with bidet, plus there’s a study and a single bedroom, both of the latter with maple floors.

Matching the hall floor for period mid-1900s authenticity are several pieces of strongly coloured stained glass on the stair return, and by the open tread second stairs to the two attic rooms, one of which has a big dormer window facing south over the back garden to the fields beyond.

The first floor’s three bedrooms are standard-sized at best, while the largest at 14’ by 10’ has built-ins and a wash basin. The main family bathroom, meanwhile, is well done, with a corner bath, separate shower and bidet.

Outside, the three-quarters of an acre is pleasant, with approach in/out drives, gravelled parking area by a low stone wall, and the grounds are mature and well-boundaried, and include several patios and terraces as well as sheds and stores.

Northbrook, at French Furze, is in good, rich farming country, and you’d know it from this house’s own back garden (see p1 pic), looking out as it does through autumn leaf-shedding trees to large tillage fields of just harvested crops and round, golden bales showing that, yes, we had sasummer growing season of some sort at least.

VERDICT: A lovely pleasant setting, between Crosshaven and Carrigaline, close to the sea, and to harbour-based employers. But, the presence of swings and a hammock at the garden’s end indicates this is place to enjoy down-time in too.