Original of the species
THERE’S faded elegance clearly visible to the front of Analore, a mid-1800s terraced home on Cork’s gem of a route, Castle Road, leading east to Blackrock Castle.
And, however faded it appears in front, inside is no better: in the kind use of the property description phrase, it’s in fairly original condition.
It comes to market as part of an executor’s sale and is a relic of auld decency, but one that time passed by in recent decades. It’s just about on the right side of habitable.
A double-fronted house of around 1,600 sq ft, thanks to a rear annexe, Analore has gas central heating, a slight acknowledgement of creature comforts, but the kitchen is as close to ‘unfitted’ as you can get (stainless steel sink, a few cupboards, old range cooker,) and bathroom provision upstairs is elementary, divided into separate WC, wash room and bathroom with cast iron roll top bath.
Ah, but here’s the good stuff, relatively speaking. It hasn’t been mucked around with too much, and has original features, and will perk up with a lot of TLC, a medium budget, and a willing small builder.
Analore is guided at €365,000 by auctioneer Dennis Guerin of Frank V Murphy who says the location halfway along Castle Road “is very special”.
It has River Lee views and a mature beech tree to the front and north, and behind is a south-facing long garden, about 140’in total, graced by a few apple trees and a large chestnut tree by the boundary.
Any new owners will get quite familiar with the back garden and long gravel path, as those living along this stretch tend to use a rear access lane as the main point of entry to their homes.
Castle Road to the front of Analore is narrow at this particular stretch, with narrow pavement too, so stopping or parking a car on the road isn’t really an option. The front gates, and wrought iron railings and old, pink granite nameplate by the pedestrian entrance, are a bit of a delight, though.
All of the windows are original sash and internal features include some decorative arches and plasterwork, lovely stained glass in the front door and mahogany handrails around the stairwell.
But other than that it’s a bit of a gut, renew and upgrade job, top to bottom, and front to back.
The aspect will facilitate rear extension and opening out, the garden is lovely and old, and the four bedrooms overhead will fit most families. The best of these, facing the Lee and Castle Road, is big enough with a bit of extra shape to accommodate an en suite.
There are two reception rooms, one with front-to-back aspect, a central front and rear hall with side-slung staircase off it, kitchen with pantry, understairs storage, and ground floor bathroom with wet-room type shower.
The house has quite a considerable depth, around 220’ from Castle Road to rear lane access, where there’s a garage/access point with sturdy teak doors.
Castle Road is one of Cork’s mosts atmospheric routes, with river on one side, and some of the city’s nicest, most individual period homes on the other.
VERDICT: Castle Road houses tend to be bought for life, and lifestyle.
