House of the week: Monkstown, Co Cork €595,000

Sq m: 249 (2,680sq ft)

HOUSES have history — and in the case of Monkstown’s Sydenham Terrace, the elegant row is almost a property register in its own right. charting the peaks and troughs of the market over the last 20 years and the two centuries beforehand too.

You could say it’s like a cultural Coronation Street — a posher, taller, grander version certainly, but neighbours know neighbours here. That’s because of the two-sided nature of this Regency row. There’s a quiet laneway access to the front of the house, but really this is the back.

The full splendour of this row is only appreciated from the waterside where the ice-cream-hued terrace reaches skyward along a hillside ledge Elegant, imposing and quite lovely, the aspect and the orientation set these houses apart. On a commonsense level, they’re dry as a bone, despite almost 200 years of standing (dating to the 1820s), and their integrity has remained intact.

Some have passed down through families and others have been purchased in each generation, but all retain a similar form and variously express the personalities of their owners. For instance, No 2, which sold recently, is the first in the row to have a modern extension projecting onto the rear, and perhaps, as the other houses change hands, this may become a trend.

Right now, No 3 is on the market with Michael H Daniels at €596,000, a healthy upward asking from the €495,000 of 2012 (but which ended up at €500,000 plus). Back in the day, the high tide mark was circa €1.25m asking and 2003 guide prices were at €750,000 — now that’s up to more than €500,000, so perhaps the recession is lifting.

Either way, there’s always a buyer for these period houses with their grand reception rooms, high ceilings and clearly defined accommodation over three floors. In the case of No 3, the original layout remains in a style that’s calm, warm and understated. Furniture is classic and colours are soft, so there’s no attempt to dominate the contours of this grand old girl. Viewers will get a good idea of what’s on offer from a look around. There’s no staging — quite the reverse really, the house is being packed up by its downsizing owners and the really strong shine of personality is in the garden, which, on a late summer’s day is a perfect haven.

Garden is not quite the correct term; there are a number of gardens here, changing with the drop in level and with different seating zones. The spaces become more enclosed and more private in the incline southwards from the house. At the garden’s end, there’s a bower with laneway leading to a pedestrian access to the village. You can almost see the dun-coated-and-capped maids on their way out to Sunday Mass — there’s that sort of lingering feel to these Sydenham houses.

No 3 has three bedrooms on offer — it would be four, but one is used as a walk-in wardrobe at present and it’s one of three rooms facing south over Monkstown Bay.

The main entrance is at first floor level in the house, but at ground floor from the lane and it’s humbler, simpler facade to the rear, painted in soft white and Greek blue.

The garden too is beautifully laid out in gravel with vibrant perennials poking through. Inside, there’s a double depth drawing and dining room with great pocket doors between the two — so they can be opened or closed depending on need.

The drawing room next door is a large, rectangular space and the main staircase fits snugly into the right of the hallway, around what would have been a shared courtyard. However, in the case of No 3 one war-time proprietress built a bomb shelter here — it’s still there, but is now a tidy storage area.

The kitchen, or garden level also tells the tale of maids and mistresses, with it’s smaller rooms, firebreast big enough for a range and coal holes filled from above.

Outside however, all Victorian remnants are cast aside with views over the water of wind turbines, and the growing pontoon of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club.

VERDICT: A great buy for lovers of homes with character, charm, and a waterside location.