Mansion life but lower bills

Bray €475,000A three-bedroom residence in Old Connaught House, on Ferndale Road, Old Connaught village in Bray offers an affordable avenue to mansion life without ruinous staffing and heating bills.

The prestigious property comes with many stately home trappings including a portico-fronted entrance, baronial hall and acres of grounds.

Once the home of William Conyngham Plunket, Archbishop of Dublin from 1884 until his death in 1897, whose statue stands near Leinster House on Kildare Street, the country pile was converted into apartments circa 2001.

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Once the home of William Conyngham Plunket, Archbishop of Dublin from 1884 until his death in 1897, the connaught House was converted into apartments circa 2001

Like Russian nesting dolls the principal apartment has a two-bedroom second guest apartment within its main footprint.

During refurbishment, the vendor contracted the builder to create a 169sq m (1,825sq ft) unit at the south end of the house, giving the residence sunny outlooks on three sides. The cost in 2002 was circa €650,000 plus customising. The property now has an asking price of €475,000 through agents HJ Byrne.

Inside, the entrance-level apartment has original height ceilings in part and 15-foot high, draught-proofed, double- glazed windows – easily the property’s most compelling feature.

These are swagged by silk curtains and pull-down blinds that although they are top of the range won’t appeal to contemporarists. In fact bare windows would allow more light to shine in and, along wth modern furnishings, would contemporarise the interior.

A water feature in the hall won’t be to everyone’s taste but is easily removed. A veer to the left takes you past a masculine home office with built-in bookshelves and cabinets. A door leads on into the impressive open-plan living-cum-dining room. These rooms have period-style cornicing and ceiling roses. The sittingroom has an off-centre, polished marble fireplace. There are wooden floors throughout the living area.

A glazed door takes you through to the kitchen where antique oak was used to create the kitchen cabinetry. The cabinets are first rate but the kitchen feels overcrowded as a result. The room has a lovely window seat, that naturally invites a small kitchen table.

There is one en suite bedroom in the main apartment. It is richly decorated and has a secreted-away, walk-in wardrobe. A Lilliputian-size door leads into an enormous bathroom that has a Jacuzzi shower and large Jacuzzi bath.

The guest apartment has two bedrooms, one of which has an en suite shower room.

The house is set on eight acres of grounds with mature trees and some planting. There is a tennis court on the site.

Apts 10 and 11, Old Connaught House, Ferndale Road, Old Connaught Village, Bray, Co Wicklow

DescriptionRoomy, light-filled apartment in a listed mansion with subtle period features, rooms for guests and private maintained grounds

AgentHJ Byrne, Bray