House of the week: Courtmacsherry, Cork

Price: €250,000

Visiting the site and grounds of Silverhill, near coastal Courtmacsherry, is like reading chapters of a local history book — it goes backwards, in layers.

The opening chapter is a fine-looking two-storey Victorian/Edwardian-style county farmhouse of some character, complete with old conservatory with sash windows in prime, central place in the front elevation.

Go back a layer or two and the rear portion of the house is older again, and feels it internally, with an unusual triple gable projecting across the back, almost Dutch-style.

The family who’ve been in occupation since the 1960s say there was a far older house on the site as well, and that today’s Silverhill is at least the third house on this quite special plot of ground.

Some of the old outbuildings here smack of the early 1800s, or Famine period at least, but there was clearly a quite a sizeable farm here, overlooking Broad Strand and the sea, a mile or two from the sheltered seaside village.

Silverhill belonged back in the 1800s to the Kingston family, with Perrotts subsequently marrying in, and in its heyday, there were 200-300 acres farmed from this enterprise, before being broken up in the 1950s by the Land Commission, with dozens of locals getting a slice or a sliver of the grandeur.

In the interim, the 1904-built main residence, annex and outbuildings soldiered on, in the hands of the O’Dwyer family, many of them rooted not just to the land but also anchored to the sea with sterling work done down several decades with the local lifeboat service. Commendations hang today on the walls, and there’s a bravery medal or two for storm-lashed rescues also among the family’s memorabilia.

Now an executor sale, Silverhill is one of the most interesting, potential-packed West Cork options to come along for quite some time — and not least because of its pragmatic €250,000 price guide, via agent Malcolm Tyrrell of Cohalan Downing, though that’s a sort of starting point for an larger overall budget to allow for necessary upgrades and enhancements.

First, the positives: its location. Courtmac, less than an hour from Cork city and airport, holds a special place in the hearts of many Corkonians (and blow-ins) and families have holidayed here for generations. Many end up moving down fulltime, or retiring to its embrace.

Next up, Silverhill is still on five acres of land — not enough ground to be called a farm, but certainly loads for the hobbyist, or horse and pony owner. It’s all sheltered, with a long, well-kept approach avenue, former croquet/tennis lawn, and a fabulous orchard with a mix of pear and old apple trees, eaters and cookers, including some spreading Bramley trees. In fact, there’s ground crying out to be re-colonised with veg, herb and fruit gardens, and a polytunnel or two.

Then, there’s a mix of old stone outbuildings, a glassless glasshouse, a more modern barn and sheds galore, several of which protect boats in various states of repair: you’d know you are by the sea.

The ocean’s half a mile below, with Broad Strand an easy sandals walk away, and there’s water views from the house (especially from the upper, front bedrooms facing south-east) and from much of the grounds. There’s probably site potential as well for a discrete new-build with views, in a field or two or garden sections.

There’s also a couple of back fields currently being grazed by cattle and ideal for a handful of livestock, and on all fronts there’s trees (Lawson cypress, holm oak etc) for shelter, interest and sheer rootedness. It also, handily, provides firewood aplenty.

VERDICT: A rare, rare buy.