Historic country estate down a tree-lined driveway

Co Westmeath/€2.75m: Meares Court, a 190-acre estate with a Georgian mansion surrounded by parkland, near Rathconrath, Mullingar, Co Westmeath is expected to fetch over €2.75 million at auction through Murtagh Brothers Real Estate Alliance next month.

The property, which was last offered for sale in 2001, is in very good order having been completely refurbished by the current owners who have lived here since the 1970s.

The three-storey over garden level house has nine bedrooms and four reception rooms and a wealth of original features including 14 fireplaces. A stone-built courtyard has various outbuildings as well as two refurbished houses. There is also a gate-lodge.

Meares Court has an interesting history. In 1642 Cromwell gave the land, with a tower house, to an officer in his army, one Louis Meares.

The Meares family built the present house in the 1760s and generations of the family lived there until the 1930s.

Located 10 miles from Mullingar, the house is approached by a spectacular tree-lined avenue meandering through parkland that includes a lake.

Reception rooms include a drawingroom, diningroom and study, while the kitchen, complete with Aga, is at the garden level along with a family room and games room and stores.

The bedrooms are arranged on two floors and offer fine views of the surrounding countryside.

The guide price is sure to attract Dublin househunters keen to escape from the rat race, and swop their city home for an elegant and historic house in the countryside. The auction date is July 8th.