Description
An extremely pleasant and attractive late Georgian historic country house, built circa 1780 on the site of the earlier Ballysteen Castle within an extremely quiet and private estate extending to nearly 100-acres. Accommodation extends to some 7244 square feet or 673 square metres and includes 6 principal bedrooms.
Home to the Westropp family since 1703 the estate is an extremely rare and unique example of quintessential gentry charm, with the features of the core-estate and late Georgian house largely intact and of considerable merit. A long circa .4 mile (.7 km) gravelled drive leads through well-timbered parkland to open onto a parking forecourt in front of Ballysteen House, or branching off into the stable and garaging courtyard. Architecturally the house is magnificent and retains the majority of the original features. Nearby Ballysteen village is a 2-minute drive, Askeaton town just an 8-minute drive and Limerick city a 30-minute drive.
The large solid timber front door, set between carved timber pilasters below an overhead arched fanlight window, opens into a large reception hall with decorative ceiling cornices and a central rose and a marble chimneypiece. It links to the stair hall, dining room, drawing room and family room. The dining room has matching alcoves to each end, a marble chimneypiece with a wood stove insert and two large west facing windows. For dining it can seat 12 comfortably. The drawing room again has two large west facing windows and has a marble chimneypiece. The family room, originally likely a library, also faces west with two large windows and a marble chimneypiece. The principal receptions rooms are each grand with generous proportions, high ceilings (circa 14 feet) fine chimneypieces and ornate ceiling plasterwork combined create to allow for opulent entertaining but are contained enough to be extremely comfortable for private or family use. The family room has a lower ceiling height, circa 10.5 feet, giving it a snug feel and especially in winter with a lighting open fire. The stair hall connects to the dining room, reception hall and an inner hall, itself linking to the kitchen, pantries and sculleries and a link hall to an annexe apartment.
Internally, the house benefits from little change since being first completed (circa 1809) so that the majority of the original features remain intact. Including, original timber sash windows (front fa�ade), window shutters, ceiling cornices and decorative plasterwork, picture rails, timber flooring boards, timber doors and architraves, a fine dog-leg carved timber staircase and some original chimney pieces. Restoration is required, although structurally the main house seems in commendable condition. The original layout configuration of the principal reception rooms works well for contemporary living, aside from the kitchen that is largely original. Upstairs the larger principal rooms are paired with adjacent interconnecting small bedrooms or dressing rooms and creating bedrooms suites with integral bathrooms seems highly possible. The current configuration provides 6 bedrooms and a playroom on the first floor. The bathroom accessed on the mezzanine floor, off the staircase return. Two old staff bedrooms are accessed from the first floor or a secondary staircase in the kitchen. The adjacent and linked annexe apartment requires complete restoration. A gate lodge is now derelict but could provide further accommodation.
The west fa�ade or the back of the house has a pleasant enclosed formal garden space and includes a marvellous dovecote tower folly. An internal farm lane is sucken to ensure an unobstructed view. Similarly, at the front of the house, the telegraph lines have been placed underground. The adjacent courtyard has a coach house, stable block and a large barn and leads to an outer enclosed yard and orchard garden. Again much original integrity survives but restoration is required. For equestrians the layout is ideal with linked grazing. For boating enthusiasts Ballysteen Quay, accessing the Shannon Estuary is just a 5-minute drive.
Limerick city is a 30 minute drive, Cork city a 1 hr 30 minute drive and Dublin city is a 2 hr 30 minute drive. Shannon International Airport 42 minutes driving (short flight path by helicopter), Cork International Airport 1 hr 45 minutes driving, Dublin International Airport 2 hr 20 minutes driving.
For further information contact Selling Agents Eileen Neville and David Ashmore. Accommodation
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