CO WICKLOW: €345,000:ROMANTICS looking for a bolthole will fall in love with The Old School House in Glenealy, Co Wicklow. The two-bedroom cut stone property is located at the entrance to the Church of Ireland in the village. It was built in 1867 and has several ecclesiastical features including a rose window, vaulted ceilings and cathedral-style doors.
The property was renovated in 2003 by its present owners. They extended the space to 117sq metres (1,264sq ft). It was also re-roofed and insulated, plumbed and rewired. The stained glass panels to the windows were added at this time.
The property has an asking price of €345,000 through agents Daphne Kaye and Associates.
The charming half-door front door opens into an atmospheric sittingroom that has a vaulted ceiling, reclaimed wide-plank flooring and a big open fire with a raised hearth so you can really get close to the heat.
Over the fireplace is a plaque that reads “Erected in memory of the consistent life and peaceful death of the late George Tombe”.
The rest of the ground floor is part of a sympathetic extension that is perfectly in keeping with the original room.
Limestone floored throughout, it includes a sizable Chalon kitchen with curved cabinetry around an Aga and a free-standing unit that houses the fridge. The main bedroom is adjacent and has French doors that open onto a sandstone terrace. The adjoining en suite has a free-standing clawfoot bath and separate shower. There is a fireplace in the bedroom and should you fancy it you can open the double doors to the bathroom and bathe in its warm glow.
The house is the perfect couple’s retreat. The mood throughout is romantic.
A white oak staircase leads from the sitting room up to a mezzanine second bedroom that has its own ensuite. The bath is set under the eaves and there are roof lights through which you can gaze at the stars.
There is a sizeable outdoor area. For lovers who may have the odd tiff, there is a dog house made of stone that has accommodation for not one but two canines. Steps lead up from it to a raised rear that looks across the rolling hills of Wicklow. The view also takes in the churchyard next door.
The Old School House, Glenealy, Co Wicklow
Two-bedroom renovated 19th-century schoolhouse
Agent: Daphne Kaye and Associates
