Woodgate’s Rural Touch

Montpelier Hill, home to the ruins of the Hellfire Club – the hunting lodge infamous for the wild behaviour of its 18th century aristocratic members – as well as the 131km Wicklow Way, provide the rural backdrop that makes the southwest Dublin suburb of Ballycullen attractive to well-heeled buyers. Indeed, Woodgate, an enclave of four-bed homes situated off the Ballycullen Road in Dublin 16 that is launching this weekend, is among a slew of mid-market developments that have sprung up in the neighbourhood in the last two years. These include DodderBrook on the Old Court Road, Sally Grove and Colmkille’s Mews at the end of Hunters Avenue. Nestled away in a quiet cul-de-sac, Woodgate consists of just five semi-detached and detached homes, as well as a refurbished semi-detached traditional cottage that is a nod to the new scheme’s location at the foothills of the Dublin Mountains. Prices range from €475,000 to €550,000. Woodgate was built by Homeland Investments, a Cork-registered real estate and development company. It recently worked with NColl Construction to convert the interior of Silveracre House, a former Regency manor house in Rathfarnham dating back to 1830, and the lodge that used to be part of the property’s rear wing into modern homes, while retaining period features such as sash windows, coving and cornicing. The exteriors at Woodgate are a combination of brick and self-coloured rendered blockwork, complemented by concrete roof tiles and dormer windows protruding from the three-storey house styles. To the front are private driveways finished in decorative cobble-lock paving, with levelled and seeded gardens to the rear. While the development is only made up of six homes, there are four house types available, giving purchasers the option to buy as close as a one-off new property they can find in South County Dublin. All of the house styles arenamed after birds. The four-bed cottage, which has 1,442 sq ft of accommodation laid out over two floors, is called The Swift. Its ground floor features a large sitting room with sliding doors opening on to a painted kitchen with quartz worktops, a breakfast far, and dining and living areas. From the kitchen, double doors lead out onto a west- facing back garden. The master ensuite is on the first floor. The Sparrow is a semi-detached, two-storey property that has 1,389 sq ft of living space. It has an open-plan kitchen/dining room, three double bedrooms and one twin room. Outside, there is a landscaped garden to the rear and off-street parking for two cars with decorative lock paving to the front. The Robin, meanwhile, is a larger property, with 1,927 sq ft of accommodation extending over three floors. Its classic kitchen-cum-dining room is open plan and features double doors that open on to an east-facing back garden. Also on the ground floor, is a separate sitting room, under-stairs storage, and a guest WC. The master ensuite on the first floor comes with walk-in wardrobes and a full-size bathroom. On the top floor is a double bedroom with an ensuite and another family room. The final house type is called The Wren – it has the same amount of accommodation as The Robin, but is a detached property. Each of the house types have additional interior finishes, including shaker-style skirting and architrave, and ironmongery finished in brushed chrome. The properties have an ‘A’ BER, courtesy of features such as an air-to-water heat pump that provides domestic hot water and a heating system, reducing energy bills for the homes’ would-be residents. Woodgate is 10 minute drive from Dundrum Town Centre and is close to schools such as St Columba’s, Wesley College and Colaiste Eanna. Nearby are bus stops serving routes 15A, 15B and 49, while the M50 motorway is within a five-minute drive. Dublin City Centre is 10km away. The showhouse at Woodgate can be viewed tomorrow and Sunday, from 1pm to 3pm.