Grazing saddles

You don’t get the stallions with Knockrath Stud, but the pair who have been living here apparently have excellent reputations.

What you do get are 40 acres of good grazing land, nine stables, a sand arena, groom’s office, and barn, and that’s before you even get past the sunken ha-ha, and through the classically proportioned Georgian front door of the house itself.

Inside, original features abound, including skirting, architraves, fireplaces, panelled doors, and the symmetrical layout so beloved of the period. Built in 1835, the house is two storey over semi-basement. The basement houses the kitchen, utility, sittingroom, games room, staff bedroom and wine cellar so, depending on your own predilections, you may want to re-jig the sleeping arrangements.

On the ground floor there is a drawingroom, morningroom, diningroom and study, all with gorgeous long windows, and views of the landscape. The four bedrooms, one of which is en suite, are on the first floor.

Knockrath is just off the Kells/Oldcastle road, in the Boyne Valley, with the intriguing megalithic Loughcrew Cairns nearby, as well as Loughcrew Gardens and Adventure Centre.

It might be a bit of a waste not to keep the horse-breeding tradition alive, although the auction AMV of €600,000, quoted by Raymond Potterton, also buys you the privacy supplied by a long avenue, rolling acres, mature trees and whitethorn hedging. The auction is on Tuesday June 25th.