You often see small ads in this newspaper where house hunters specify that they want a house in a particular location, and you might wonder what happened next. Well the owners of Nutgrove, on Richmond Avenue in Dartry, did just that.
Moving to Dublin in the mid-1980s they put an ad in the paper looking for a family house in Dublin 6. The owner of Nutgrove contacted them and with minimum fuss – or more than a single viewing – they bought it and the 1930s detached house has been their home since.
It’s a fine house, typical of the period but not of other houses in this part of Dartry which tend to be Victorian redbricks. It and its neighbours were built at the same time and Nutgrove, which is on a very large corner site, has a rambling feel and an open aspect. At 353 sq m (3,800sq ft) it’s a big house without being grand with many signature period features.
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Off the long wide hall with its polished original floorboards are two large interconnecting reception rooms. Unusually, both have bay windows as well as windows in the side elevation. On the other side of the hall is a smaller family room and it opens into the back of the house and into the open-plan kitchen and breakfastroom. Off to the side is a utility room, a storage area, another guest toilet and an entrance into the house. There are seven bedrooms, six doubles and one small single; some have fireplaces including the main bedroom which also has an en suite. The owners maintained, decorated and improved as they went along – adding a sunroom on to the back of the house, updating the kitchen and the family bathroom.
A significant addition was the two-storey redbrick garage to the side. It has space for a couple of cars – an unusual feature to find in this area – and upstairs there’s living accommodation including a shower and sauna.
Milltown and Dartry, being beside the Dodder linear park, are leafy green suburbs – and the view from most windows is of tall trees. Mature, beautifully planted gardens wrap around the house. Access is by electric gates giving the property considerable privacy. Nutgrove is for sale by DNG for €3.75 million.
