Great charm in Drimoleague farmhouse

Tommy Barker says carpenter owner worked well at this venerable West Cork courtyard cluster.

Drimoleague, Cork €240,000

Sq m 130 (1,400 sq ft)

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2

Wood Farm, just off the Cork to Drimoleague road in West Cork hits that difficult balance?— keeping’ olde world’ character (because it does have a venerable past) while also having a bit of modern style, and lots of colour.

The detached and extended two-storey farmhouse has 1,400 sq ft of living space, with four bedrooms, and is on 2.5 acres of land at Lahana. And, for lifestyle relocaters, the land includes a couple of old stone outbuildings, roofed and useful, with power supply.

Two miles from Drimoleague, and dating back at least a century or so, it’s in a sort of courtyard cluster with some of its outbuildings, has been extended out the back with the roof now spanning an extra bit of width, and has hardwood sash-style windows.

It was bought eight years ago after being derelict for a good number of years by a young family (the dad’s a carpenter), and with a now 16-year-old daughter aiming for university in the UK, they are returning back for the joys of A Levels, having done pretty much all of the restoration work themselves, including all the carpentry, and hacking back cement render and redoing with lime renders.

The front face is left in natural exposed stone, with soft lime render around the windows and clear-glazed front door.

Looked at in the right way, with its deliberately ragged render around the door and window, and with the old steel wall cross-braces exposed, there’s almost a look of a dimpled Pierrot doll’s face to its facade.

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Estate agent Pat Maguire in Skibbereen guides the 1,400 sq ft home at €240,000 saying it has lovely open rural views, and further potential as well for new owners.

At present, it’s got a main living room with wood-burning stove set into a wide chimney ope, and stairs to the upper level which is home to four character-filled bedrooms, one with glazed French doors on the gable wall, opening inwards and with a secure rail, as a vantage point.

Several of the bedrooms (one is effectively sectioned in two with an arch, and makes for a great home office/playroom as well as a bedroom) have brightly coloured wall panelling.

There’s a bright and homely kitchen, with double aspect and pale blue Rayburn range cooker, and the ceramic kitchen sink has a hardwood surround.

VERDICT: Great charm and rural idyll.