Many houses use the term tucked away to describe their location, but for Thorndene, a gracious house dating from circa 1850, it is something of a surprise as it is completely secluded from the main road off which it lies.
Though it is slap bang in the middle of Monkstown village, it is totally hidden away at the end of a cobblestone laneway, and what you see in the main photograph is the rear of the property, as the front faces the driveway.
Set over two stories, the 248 sq m (2,699 sq ft) of floor space, though built in the early Victorian era, has more of a Georgian air and feel about its design. The most attractive property, reconfigured with flair and attention, has an impressive Ber of C3.
It was purchased by its current owners 17 years ago, and now with an empty nest the family are downsizing from their lovely four-bedroom home.
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Over the years they changed the layout of the property to a more contemporary setting: “The kitchen used to be in what is now the family room, but you could not see the gardens — which, bedsides location, was one of the reasons we bought the place.”
Some internal walls were knocked to create a more open-plan layout and a 1970s extension was given an upgrade. The Newcastle Design kitchen now lies to the rear, with views to the lawn and an abundance of light that flows in from the west-facing garden through French doors and a lantern roof.
This in turn now allows a cosier family room, which is one of four reception rooms in the property. Lying off a courtyard, it has an attractive tongue and groove ceiling and is warmed by a large wood-burning stove. “It was a really great room over the years as it has an entrance off the courtyard. The kids and their friends could just come and go, so they had a great level of freedom.”
With children in mind, a real selling point is the grounds that Thorndene occupies. Lying on half an acre with a westerly aspect, the owner says “it’s like being in the countryside, and if you are sitting in the garden it is quite unbelievable, as all you can hear is the sound of the birds”.
But it will be the size of the gardens that may clinch the deal for those in search of a large family home in the village. To put it in perspective, it is the size of almost eight tennis courts — which is two more than those at Ireland’s oldest tennis club, just down the road at Monkstown Lawn Tennis Club.
Flanked by mature trees and plants giving lots of privacy, it is low maintenance at present but could be a gardeners’ oasis in the middle of the village.
The property has four bedrooms, all of which, like the house itself, are in pristine condition. There is ample storage within a good sized utility and more space in two outhouses that lie in the courtyard.
Though tucked away from everything, in about a minute’s walk, new owners can tuck into a bowl of fresh seafood pasta from the popular little local That’s Amore.
Thorndene is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €3.5 million.
