Co Wicklow: €695,000A detached home with an interesting past is for sale near the village of Avoca, Co Wicklow.
The Old Barracks, Kilcashel, is set in seven acres of woodland and will be sold by private treaty through Knight Frank Ganly Walters which is quoting a price of €695,000.
Built in the early part of the 18th century, the house was the local RIC barracks for a period from c1840. The Avoca Copper Mines, which had opened in 1720, were then in their prime, and this quiet beauty spot was home to a thriving community.
With its elevated site, the house overlooks the oldest section of the mine (which closed in 1982) where the brick tower and chimney point work has been restored and preserved.
The present owners bought the house over 30 years ago and embarked on a complete remodelling, building on a large extension and, more recently, adding a third storey. The house is well insulated, has an internal telephone system and good storage. It's two miles from the village of Avoca, with its pretty shops including the original Avoca Handweavers, and is also close to the Meeting of the Waters. Rathdrum, with a commuter rail service to Dublin, is three miles away.
The 250sq m (2,500sq ft) house has three reception rooms (including a second floor family room), five bedrooms and two shower/bathrooms. The living area is mainly floored in warm coloured tiling. The teak framed windows in the drawing and diningroom are set low and each has a window seat. The diningroom opens on to a rectangular kitchen with locally crafted cupboards, a Rangemaster and breakfast area. There are doors to a side garden and to a hall - off which is a pantry, utility, toilet and a second door to the outside.
An original carved staircase climbs to a first-floor return, which has two double bedrooms, each with dual garden views; a family bathroom; separate walk-in shower room and double doors to elevated rear decking.
Two further bedrooms on the first floor have working fireplaces, panelled ceilings and built-in wardrobes. The second floor has a small landing and two large well-lit rooms, one currently used as a bedroom, the other as a family room. Stone steps lead from the rear to tiered lawns surrounded by trees and shrubs. There is a south-facing patio, a second paved area with a lily pond, a shed in a tiny secret garden and a covered storage area under the decking.
The land stretching above and behind the house contains the ruins of two cottages. All around the apricot coloured house are glorious views of Avoca Hill and Valley.
