Gardens to buy for: space for you - and the chickens

BIG gardens are back in fashion. With property developers gone from the market, the Dublin garden ïs no longer being targeted as potential building ground. Instead, gardens are being valued for what they are – a great place for children to grow up in rather than a space that has to be tamed and manicured. Owners are looking further than the deck and alfresco dining has given way to more homely pursuits. Growing vegetables, keeping chickens, even a pig, have all become fashionable pursuits in the new era of austerity. ORNA MULCAHYand BERNICE HARRISONreport

CLONSKEAGH: 0.65 ACRES

WHEN GT Crampton, one of Dublin’s most prestigious and forward thinking building firms, was developing Maple Road in Clonskeagh in 1946 there was clearly no desire to build as many houses as the plot size would allow. Instead the quiet leafy road is lined with very large detached houses, all in slightly differing styles and all with big gardens. Number 1 is on the largest site – on 0.65 of an acre and has a road frontage of 44 metres, a most unusual find in a house so close to the city centre. It is for sale by Sherry FitzGerald for €2.5 million.

The house which is on the Milltown end of the road has been in the same family since it was built. At 291sq m (3,136sq ft) it is big but its proportions are of its time with three relatively modest-sized reception rooms, as well as a sun room, all looking out on to the spectacular and mature south-facing back garden which is nearly 50 meters long. The double height hallway with its mahogany parquet flooring, minstrels gallery, sweeping staircase and stained glass window make for an impressive entrance. The kitchen runs the depth of the house and so looks out on both the front and back gardens. Renovated in recent years, it features granite worktops and stainless steel appliances. Off this is a utility room and also on the ground floor is a butler’s pantry.

Upstairs there are three double bedrooms and two bathrooms – one of these may originally been a fourth bedroom and could presumably be one again. New owners will probably update the bathrooms but other than that, and depending on personal taste in decoration, it’s in comfortable walk in condition.There are two garages, again most unusual.

SHANKILL: 1 ACRE

FURTHER outside the city, and further down the price scale is a Coolgarrow, on Falls Road, Shankill, a house on a good acre of gardens that has just come on the market through Lennox Estates.

Again, it's an executor's sale and the asking price is €695,000. Built in the 1970s, it's a typical bungalow of the era with plenty of space - 209sq m (2,253sq ft) - but not much insulation, according to selling agent Gordon Lennox.

The main appeal of Coolgarrow, he says, is being a few minutes' walk from Shankill village (schools, shops, transport) yet feeling peaceful with lawns, kitchen garden and orchard.

RATHGAR: 0.288ACRES

New to the market with Knight Frank is Milverton, at Green Park off Orwell Road, a detached house on over a quarter of an acre which is asking €1.5 million in an executor’s sale. The early 20th century house has been well cared for over the years but now needs some updating. It’s a good size, at 260sq m (2,800sq ft) with plenty of scope to modernise. New owners will probably want to hold on to some of its orignal features such as the oak parquet flooring that runs from the spacious hallway through to the dining room, while the kitchen also has an origianl floor - this time in terrazzo.

Five bedroom on the upper flooor share a bathroom and there is potential to extend into the extensive attic.

The walled back garden is in first class condition and is mostly in lawn. There’s plenty of space for pottering around in the several storage sheds and garages.