Period features and modern comforts combine in Donnybrook homes

Belville Lodge, which adjoins Belville Cottage, a semi-detached four-bed house on Stillorgan Road, Donnybrook sold recently for £900,000, is now for sale through Finnegan Menton.

The three-bedroom house, which has extensive frontage on to Stillorgan Road, close to Donnybrook church, carries a guide price of £800,000-plus prior to auction on December 8th.

Belville Lodge and its neighbour are now right on the edge of the busy dual carriageway but they were once a single house set well back from the road and surrounded by gardens. The Regency-style cottage was built in 1835 for the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Arthur Morrisson, but it lost some of its land when the Stillorgan road was widened over 20 years ago.

The house and adjoining grounds were sold in the mid-1980s to Cosgrave Brothers, which built apartments on the land, then restored the house and divided it into two.

Belville Lodge is slightly smaller than its neighbour. A single-storey house, it has just under 2,000 sq ft of accommodation.

There is a small gravelled garden to the side of the house as well as off-street parking behind high electronically controlled gates.

All the rooms open off a central hallway and there is some nice period detail in the carved door cases. Being all on one level, it feels like a large apartment, but the big surprise is the sheer size and scale of the two interconnecting reception rooms which together are over 40 ft long.

These were the principal rooms of the original house and they have been restored in period style with striking marble fireplaces - both fitted with coal-effect gas fires - and high dividing doors.

One essential mod con, however, is double glazing in the two windows, which blocks the sound of traffic to an amazing degree. These rooms will appeal particularly to people who want to trade down from a large period house but still keep their big pieces of furniture.

The dining-room could easily seat 20 people or more, while the drawing-room will swallow up several sofas, armchairs, tables and bookcases.

The kitchen off the drawing-room is long and galley-like with one wall of exposed brick. It has a good range of fitted units and access to a small utility room.

There are three good-sized double bedrooms. The main bedroom has a fireplace fitted with a coal-effect fire, and a long en suite shower room. A second bedroom has a walk-in dressing area as well as an en suite bathroom while the third bedroom has the use of a family bathroom.

The house is fully alarmed and in walk-in condition, although new owners might redecorate in lighter shades to make it appear a brighter home.