Relaxed grandeur with views of Slaney

Salville House, 2km from the town of Enniscorthy, is on an elevated site of 4.3 acres overlooking the river Slaney.

It is home to Jane and Gordon Parker, who have run the six-bedroom house as a small guesthouse for the past 20 years to help with the upkeep of the estate.

The house is a bit of an anomaly in the sense that what appears to be a new extension added to the rear is actually the original house, which was built before 1777, as it appears on Taylor and Skinner map of that year, and old photographs suggest it was a thatched longhouse.

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The main three-bay, two-storey house, in Georgian style, was built to the front of the original house in the 1890s.

Inside is a mixture of formal and informal rooms. Beyond the spacious hall of the main house are elegant dining and drawing rooms.

Both have high ceilings, marble fireplaces, sash windows and shutters. There is a real sense of relaxed grandeur to the place.

The kitchen, which houses an Aga and large Smeg range, “came together over the years”, says Jane, “and we didn’t have a lot to do when we bought Salville – just some decorating.”

In their time here, the Parkers have re-roofed the house, which stands at 375sq m (4,036sq ft)on 4.3 acres of parkland.

The property has six bedrooms and two studies. A second kitchen lies in the oldest part of the house – which could be converted to a self-contained unit.

The house is at an angle to take in views of the Slaney River – vistas that were shared by designer Eileen Gray who lived in nearby Brownswood House.

The grounds contain parkland, which include beech, oak and ash; a very old orchard as well as an old coach house and maltings, which have potential for conversion.

The property has a long history with local Quaker families – the Sparrows and the Woodcocks – who lived here before selling to the Preston family in 1860.

Salville House is a little piece of history and a whole lot of charm and will make a fine family home.

It is for sale through agent Sherry FitzGerald O'Leary Kinsella for €575,000.