A slice of wooded wonderland

It’s a very special place, says Tommy Barker, near so many coastal and river attractions, an hour or less from Cork and Waterford

US-born architect and planner Nancy Hill plans ahead, generally about 10 years in advance. And it’s thanks to forward planning, and a goodly bit of vision, that she now has 3,000 maturing trees on her West Waterford homestead.

A qualified architect, she moved to England decades ago, and worked as a planner in London where, one hot August day in 1993, she took another uprooting decision: she decided she’d had enough of city life, and thought to move to Ireland as a nice place to have her grandchildren to come visit — a sort of kids’ club in the great outdoors.

She narrowed her search down to three locations, and, inspired by writer, broadcaster and naturalist Dick Warner, plumped for a four-acre field of barley at Kinsalebeg, Clashmore, between Youghal and Ardmore in West Waterford.

Starting with, and sticking with, a plan, she began planting and built a wee log cabin for shelter when visiting and working. Now, her efforts have transformed a tilled field to forestry and a wildlife reserve, to which she’s added a far grander timber home — a 1,650 sq ft Scandinavian log cabin sourced through a Galway company in 2001.

And, now, planning ahead once more, and with precious life memories planted too in the minds of her grandchildren in Chicago and London, she’s about to move again for the next decade’s downsizing plan — back to London.

What a leafy legacy to leave behind — across the four acres, about half of the 3,000 trees planted are oaks, there’s a further 175 red oaks, 800 beech trees, and smaller groves and stands of ash, birch, sweet chestnut, wild cherry and crabapple, pear, maple, Douglas fir and Scots’ pine, along with hazel, elder, blackthorn, and hawthorn, willow and more.

Back when Nancy bought her bare field, she had sea views from this neighbourly perch at Garranaspic, Kinsalebeg, but now the trees have occluded the view, while making their own lush green vista. A fair trade — and there’s still the choice of five beaches within a few minutes’ drive.

Neighbours up here, just a half mile above the N25, include a friendly garden centre, a football club, a creche and some fabric artists, and settled in among it all, Nancy’s Scandinavian style, eco-friendly house of wood, in its own wonderful woodland and glades.

It’s largely open plan, with a double height space and overhead gallery (it sleeps masses of free-range children) with lots of wood in evidence, internal finishes, and out the many windows, handily triple glazed,

It’s all highly insulated, with efficient electric underfloor heating (only used 4-8am in winters) and with a large, wood-burning stove for main heating, with timber freely available of course on site. The spotless, immaculately-kept 1,650 sq ft home also gets lots of solar gain and is always warm, notes its proud owner, though she’s disgusted that the BER came in a seemingly low D, because it penalises the very existence of electric heating.

This most comfortable of dormer homes, adapted by its owner from an original design, has a Beam central vacuum, a ventilation system that ensures fresh, dry air, three bedrooms, two wet-room style bathrooms, study, and open gallery, and is the sort of space and setting you can only imagine promoting health.

The external timbers are done in a dark weathering stain, with a metal Nordnann roof profile sheeting, and the main living section opens to a deck with pergola and herb-scented seating.

From here, paths beguilingly entice wanderers around strimmed garden paths full of animal and birdlife and a safe refuge for cocky pheasants.

Nancy’s original small Finnish log cabin is free-standing in the woods, with water and power and a shower, so welcome visitors can linger here for a night or two also, in utter tranquillity.

This slice of wooded wonderland is new to market this summer with Ardmore-based agent Brian Gleeson (trading as Liam Gleeson and Sons) who seeks offers around €250,000. He says it’s a very special place, near so many coastal and River Blackwater attractions, an hour or less from Cork and Waterford cities and airports.

VERDICT: It’s the new plantation of Munster. Buy into it, and watch your stock soar.