By the time number 32 Mount Pleasant Avenue Upper was built, in 1845, the road had been renamed from Cullenswood Avenue Upper. On earlier maps, Taylor (1816) names it a Pathway and Rocque (1760) depicts it as Milltown Path. Now, the avenue is one-way from the junction with Charleston Road/Belgrave Square so that motorists must travel northwards to the canal, which enables some on-street car parking and means fewer drivers take the scenic route out of town.
There are some lovely early terraced houses along this part of the avenue, with Kensington Villas and Belgrave Terrace across the road from number 32, which is at the end of another terrace. There is a small gravelled area to the front, with a gate in the railings for bringing bins in and out, and you can see the Leinster Cricket Club nets from the front door.
The gable wall is painted a soft grey and there is a lovely putty colour on the window surrounds and around the dark-blue door; all of these blend in well with the redbrick and stone facade and signal the tone of the interior.
Many of the period details are intact, with a simple arch in the hallway and a black stone fireplace in the front room. The pretty white ceiling plasterwork contrasts with the sage colour on the interconnecting reception rooms, whose character is enhanced by the great warmth of the reclaimed parquet that floors the two. Simple sliding doors divide them but when they are open the rooms soak up light from the east and west at the back and front, respectively.
Most of the windows and shutters survive, with deep window ledges inviting viewers to sit and read, or just to sit. Upstairs there are two of these lovely big windows in the large main bedroom at the front, and the second double bedroom is at the rear. The third bedroom, an L-shaped single, is on the return beside the main bathroom. The total floor area is 135sq m (1,453sq ft)and the Ber is D2.
On the ground floor there is a cute understairs bathroom with ferny wallpaper, and the square kitchen is straight ahead. This was fitted when the owner bought the house, about 20 years ago, so while it’s functional – and bright, thanks to tall glass doors and an east-facing window – it could do with a refresh. The doors lead to a patio that could, subject to planning, be incorporated into the kitchen; as you go out towards the garden, more possibilities present themselves. With the sun streaming along the very long garden, new owners could also push the kitchen out the back to create a multipurpose space.
Along the northern boundary, a line of tall evergreens screen the next-door Belgrave Court apartment complex, and these add to the feeling of privacy. And as you go farther along the 80ft garden, much of which is under artificial grass, you make a great discovery; the last part also includes the end of the plot next door so there’s an even more private space that’s double the width, at about 35ft. For now it is gravelled and unadorned; the potential for parties, planting and vegetable patches awaits the next owner. All the supplies for any of these are on hand in Ranelagh and Rathmines villages; it’s a 15-minute walk to town and there are umpteen schools, shops and sports, including the long-established tennis club in the neighbouring square, within cycling distance.
Number 32 Mount Pleasant Avenue Upper is for sale through Owen Reilly with an asking price of €1.2 million.
