More than 50 films and series have been filmed at the Powerscourt Estate in Co Wicklow since Laurence Olivier made his directorial debut with Shakespeare’s Henry V in 1944.
It’s not hard to see why, and the area certainly lives up to its moniker of the Garden of Ireland. Tucked away with breathtaking panoramic coastal and mountain views is Ard na Magh, which is located close to Powerscourt Waterfall, Ireland’s tallest cascade at 122m.
“There is such a sense of privacy here and it’s a real rural setting, yet it is just five minutes from the M50,” says the owner of the unique five-bedroom house on landscaped gardens and woodland.
“The title deeds show there was a house here in 1750, but there’s a bit of a mystery to this property. We think it was a shooting or gamekeeper’s lodge for the Powerscourt Estate and the site was definitely chosen for the views.” Vistas extend to 180 degrees, taking in the Sugarloaf Mountain out to the Irish Sea over Killiney Hill and Dalkey Island.
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And just like Powerscourt House – the little bit of Versailles in the heart of Wicklow that underwent many changes over the years – Ard na Magh has additions since it was constructed in the early part of the 20th century.
The second family to live here (from 1936 to 1966) added two wings to the house and in 1996, an entire upstairs was added that resulted in the added benefit of two verandas that command even better views than downstairs.
As the current owner is a collector of sports and theatrical memorabilia, he changed a former sittingroom into a home bar – the Old Long Hill Bar, which takes its name from the location – and was opened by the late Irish folk musician Ronnie Drew.
Four of the five bedrooms, all of which are en suite, lie upstairs and are accessed from an inner hall via an atrium glazed gallery, and all bedrooms upstairs open via patio doors on to the verandas. The principal bedroom lies downstairs off an inner hall.
Downstairs, adjoining the bespoke Enigma kitchen is a boot room, off which lies a playroom-fitness suite. From the main hallway, which has an inglenook fireplace and polished wooden floors, lie three reception rooms: a dual-aspect drawingroom and diningroom with a deep bay window, a triple-aspect garden room and a livingroom.
Gardens extend to just under 0.8 hectares (two acres), laid out with woodland, terraces, patios and herbaceous borders. The coast, at both Bray and Greystones, is a 10-minute drive, with swimming in the nearby Glenview Hotel and Leisure Club. Country Cottage Stables are a short distance down the road, while racehorses frolic about in adjacent fields, which are part of the 48.5-hectare (120-acre) estate, Ballinteskin Stud, next door.
Irish artist Paul Henry, who is interred in St Patrick’s cemetery in nearby Enniskerry village, lived half a mile from Ard na Magh and is reputed to have sketched from the house, so his Wicklow paintings may well have been inspired by the lovely vistas from the period lodge.
The owner is right-sizing from the 408sq m (4,400sq ft) property and has placed this slice of Wicklow heaven, which has a Ber of D1, on the market through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €1.85 million.
