Commanding views in home of authority in St Luke's, Cork city
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THERE’S seemingly a military bearing and suitably commanding views to No 2 Shrewsbury, a fine, upstanding Cork home of power, authority and comfort, atop Military Hill at Bellvue, in Cork city’s resurgent St Luke’s area.
Not only is it close to Collins Barracks on this lofty escarpment, it commands vistas southwards for miles, and to Cork harbour and Blackrock Castle to the east.
To the west, and equally prominent in the distance is County Hall. The rebuilt 1800s castle at Blackrock, and ‘skyscraper’ of the 1960s, are sort of Cork bookends, along the River Lee which encircles the old, marshy southern city core between its two channels.
From a perch as lofty as Military Hill, you do indeed seek out and find your own bearings, as well as being reminded of chapters past in Cork’s multi-layered history, recalled too in the tiered buildings beneath.
Monday last, when estate agent Timothy Sullivan was greeting viewers to No 2 Shrewsbury in glorious sunshine, it was almost a game to see what city highlights could be seen from the old, original sash-framed windows front and back of this three-storeyed robust home.
The two pairs of three-level, bay window enhanced two-bay semis that comprise Shrewsbury Villa date to the 1890s, and all four have aged exceptionally well, some 125 years or so later.
Subsidence doesn’t seem to be an issue on this rock strata, and there’s no sign of any untoward movement, inside or outside at imperial No 2, which still has all original fireplaces on all three levels, encaustic tiles in the inner and outer hall, decorative plasterwork, and sash windows all in situ, front, back and on the side gable, running up the stairwell in pairs to make for very bright circulation areas.
No 2’s new to market with estate agent Timothy Sullivan for its vendors, a busy family with teenagers who’ve successfully colonised many of the six bedrooms and ancillary rooms too, for dens, dressing or study.
He says they’ve been here a decade or more, and once more he’s showing it to young families who will get an unbelievable amount of suburban space — about 3,100 sq ft — for their money.
He guides at €495,000, and it may well go north of that if bidding gathers the expected momentum.
Nearby, similar-sized homes in Bellvue have been tipping north of €450,00 into the €500,000s in a recovered market, and the pristine No 8 Sidneyville, Bellvue (which featured here six months ago when launched at €495,000) has shown the best result in years, turning up on the Price Register in early February at €635,000.
By contrast, No 4 Shrewsbury went on the Register in 2013, at €346,955, selling in a very original state, minus even central heating, on a large site.
t’s all gentrification now round Bellvue’s Edwardian era’s housing mix. Even a cursory glance along this cul de sac St Luke’s setting, say at Nos 1 and 2 Sidneyville, shows how new buyers will work with these period homes, to their aesthetic benefit, and domestic comforts.
No 2 Shrewsbury ticks a few extra boxes than some, with an east/west aspect to its credit.
The front, east garden’s the longer, with long lawn and parking, while behind is decked for evening sun-taking, with small garden with blossoming apple tree, plus a back-up yard the far side of the two-storey return annexe, linking back to an attached gable end garage.
Over the ivy-clad back wall are three grass tennis courts, part of the historic Collins Barracks property/amenity holdings up here above Sidney Park.
The National Inventory of Buildings of Ireland describes Nos 1& 2 Shrewsbury as “a pair of substantial semi-detached homes, built as a group of four with the adjacent pair, reputedly for high-ranking officers of the adjacent barracks and overlooking the former training fields to the rear.
The restrained render façade is greatly enlivened by the full-height canted bays and decorative details such as the window aprons, finials and canopied entrance door.
The pairs are a fascinating reminder of the contribution the military presence had to the domestic housing stock in this area of Cork.”
Inside in the wide and accommodating No 2, there are lovely rooms on all three levels into the bay windows, with three sash frames per bay and floor.
The current bay uses sees a top floor drawing room/teenage bedroom, a master bedroom at the mid-level, and drawing room at ground, with a formal dining room behind.
Each reception’s 17’ by 17’, high-ceilinged, and each with elegant, original fireplaces.
Behind is a cosy-looking but dated 24’ long kitchen, nearly 12’ wide, with pine units and parana pine walls, utility and garden access at the far end, plus there’s plenty of storage, closet/pantry, and guest WC.
Condition is very good for its age, despite getting a lowly G BER, and it hasn’t really had (or, needed) the contemporary modernising makeover and budget thrown at it....yet.
: Top brass
