House with a past on seafront

Sea views command million pound prices in Killiney and in Dalkey but further along the coast, in Bray, Co Wicklow, they come quite a bit cheaper.

Dunluice, a large semi-detached house on the Bray seafront is expected to make £325,000-plus at a Gunne auction on March 30th. The three-storey house, which has pre '63 declaration, is laid out as a six-bedroom family home with around 3,200 sq ft of living space. Dating from the 1860s, the bay-fronted house has a colourful past, according to selling agent Robert Downey of Gunne's Dun Laoghaire office. "It was built in the 1860s by one Sir Robert Brownrigg as a residence for his mistress, Ann Haddock.

"In 1883, Brownrigg sold the property to Sir Albert Ormsby Speedy of North Frederick Street, Dublin, who bought it for his mistress, Rebecca Ann Dooley." The Strand must have been a popular place for extra-marital affairs. Two doors away from Dunluice, a house that is now the Strand Hotel was built by Sir William Wilde for his mistress, Mary Travers. Nowadays many of the houses along the seafront are guest houses, hotels or other commercial premises. Next door to Dunluice is the Tree of Idleness restaurant.

However, several of the houses have been converted into family homes and Dunluice may well be sold as such. The owners have refurbished it in recent years and it is in good decorative order. At hall level two nicely proportioned rooms lead off the hall. The 19-ft drawingroom has an impressive grey marble fireplace and folding doors opening into the diningroom. A Junckers timber floor runs through both rooms.

The kitchen is at the back of the hall in the return. Above it, on the first floor return is a striking Victorian-style bathroom.

There are three bedrooms on the top floor, including the main bedroom with its marble fireplace and ornate ceiling rose. The remaining bedrooms are on the ground floor where there is also a family room and a sun room with patio doors to the garden. The garden is fairly small - no more than about 30 ft in depth - and split level. There is off-street parking to the front for a couple of cars.