Victoria Lodge on Seafield Avenue in Monkstown, Co Dublin is not of the era its name might suggest, but the earlier Georgian period: the Ber-exempt house on three levels was built in 1828. Seafield Avenue is quieter than many of its neighbouring roads as it’s one-way and is a five-minute stroll from Monkstown village. It’s also a one-minute hop to the Martello tower at Seapoint beach, so swimmers will have no excuses – you could drop over in a Dryrobe quite easily.
The house has a charming exterior, painted a soft pink and white with a well-maintained front garden and parking for three to four cars. There is a mews house to the side that is not included in the sale. Inside, the hall branches off in two directions towards the stairs – a legacy of the original design of the house, when the staff quarters were downstairs and the family occupied the upper floors.
There are two bright bedrooms to the left and a large kitchen with granite-topped timber units, an Aga and a tiled floor on the right. New owners could look at knocking the dividing walls through the many rooms at this level and achieving a large kitchen/dining/livingroom if they wished. Beyond the kitchen is another hall with a shower room, a utility and a door to the garden.
The long, tranquil, well-planted garden is sure to be one of the many selling points of this 280sq m (3,015sq ft) property. It’s absolutely lovely, with the pink facade of the house at one end echoed in the end wall of terraced houses on Belgrave Square, faded to a muted pink.
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These bookends create a secret-garden ambience, added to by old stone walls and a private, locked gate that opens into Belgrave Square. A third of the garden is taken up by a large patio just outside the house, perfect for eating outside, and it’s a sun trap due to an old stone wall dividing the garden with an arch in it.
There’s a small conservatory overlooking the garden at the top of the stairs on the first floor, and there’s a shower room beside it. Running on the side of the house are two narrow rooms divided by steps used as studies; the second is a well-furnished study with a solid desk and plenty of shelving.
The drawingroom is to the front of the house, overlooking the sea. The windows are tall and wide, with a Georgian six-over-six panes. The floor is pitch pine, and an impressive grey marble fireplace lies at the end of the room.
At the far end of the drawingroom is a small eyrie, up some steps with windows on both walls. It feels like a tiny turret room, with benches to sit on and enjoy the wonderful sea views, extending right over Dublin Bay.
Interconnecting doors open into the livingroom; this is another well-proportioned room with gas inset fire, great light thanks to another large window and the same period cornicing and ceiling roses as the drawingroom. It’s easy to imagine these doors thrown open and a host of people being well entertained.
The second floor has four bedrooms; they have a charm with their sloping eaves, and new owners may want to update their fitted wardrobes. In keeping with the original layout of the house, none of the bedrooms are en suite – the final bathroom in the house is on a return off this floor.
It’s a home full of character, offering a fantastic location, stunning garden and Georgian period features. With the current owners now rightsizing, they have placed Victoria Lodge on the market with Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €2.3 million.
