No waiting for views at former Beckett home

Greystones: €900,000: Rockport is a beautiful, late Victorian seaside home in Greystones whose history is as rich as the north…

Greystones: €900,000: Rockport is a beautiful, late Victorian seaside home in Greystones whose history is as rich as the north Wicklow town.

The house was built in 1885 and served originally as Greystones post office and also housed Watson's Pub. Its early life is recorded in one of local historian Derek Payne's volumes of old photographs.

In 1936, the house was bought by May Beckett, mother of Samuel, who spent a number of summers there.

I am not aware of the house featuring in any of his works but it has popped up in several films (one starring Jane Seymour), an episode of Ballykissangle and on Sky 1's Dreamteam.

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Since the Becketts, Rockport has passed through several hands while the current vendors have refurbished it to near perfection.

Original floorboards have been sanded and varnished. Together with rugs and stair runners, the house exudes a rich, welcoming feeling. The decor is restrained, simple and classical.

The original 1885 hall door opens into a small porch, which leads into a more substantial hall with a high ceiling and original terracotta floor tiles and period radiator.

There are three reception rooms downstairs: a drawingroom and a diningroom at the front of the property, and a family room to the side. Each is in mint condition, with period Victorian cast-iron and tile fireplaces, and restored plaster and ceiling rose details.

But the clincher is the view across Greystones harbour to the North Beach and on to Bray Head, or out to sea towards the Kish Lighthouse. And although Rockport fronts directly onto the footpath, it is slightly elevated and there is no invasion of privacy by snoopy passers-by.

The kitchen at the rear is a generous size and, like the rest of the property, is tastefully furnished with wooden door units and a breakfast room with restored original terracotta tile floor.

There is a modest tiled back yard (no rear garden) with a southerly aspect that catches the sun.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and it is impossible to argue with selling agents Sherry FitzGerald's assertion that each offers "stunning coastal views". And, just as with the rest of the property, each room has been restored and decorated with great attention to detail.

There are two bathrooms upstairs, the second of which is pure theatre. It has a vaulted, pyramid-shaped ceiling and fanlight-style period window with stained glass surround. In the centre of the room is a free-standing cast-iron bath. The loo is a restored high level cistern type, the heated towel rail is also period.

There is a small lawned garden to the side of the house from where, behind a low wall, occupants may relax and enjoy the view. Sherry FitzGerald is guiding €900,000.

Peter Murtagh

Peter Murtagh

Peter Murtagh is a contributor to The Irish Times