One of the great estates in Co Wicklow, Grangecon Demesne, is to be offered for sale on the international market.
Joint agents Robert Ganly of Ganly Walters and Bill Montgomery of Sothebys are seeking offers in excess of £4.5 million for the 256-acre estate which dates back to the 1600s.
Grangecon is located deep in the Wicklow countryside on the edge of the tiny village of Grangecon, about 32 miles from Dublin. It has been owned for the past 15 years by a wealthy German family who are now to relocate to the US.
The centre-piece of the estate is a rambling Tudor House which was damaged by fire in 1920 and subsequently rebuilt. It was refurbished by the present owners and is now a comfortable country house. It has four reception rooms, six bedrooms and a guest wing.
Grangecon has been the backdrop to many historic events since the original estate with over 2,000 acres was granted by Queen Elizabeth I to her godson, Sir John Harrington. It remained with the Harrington family until the middle of the 19th century, when it was acquired by the O'Mahony clan, who played a leading role in securing Catholic emancipation and also figured in the inquiry surrounding the disappearance of the Crown Jewels from Dublin Castle in 1907. The O'Mahonys sold the Wicklow property in 1961 for £30,000.
Like all great estates, it has gate lodges at front and rear entrances; a long, winding avenue runs through ancient woods and parkland past an attractive lake with two islands. Much of the land is railed and fenced.
The grounds include two further houses and, at the rear of the main house, a former Greek Orthodox Chapel with high ceilings and decorative cornices, now divided into four horse stalls. Adjoining it is an old picture gallery with its original wooden floor and vaulted ceiling.
Grangecon is a charming Tudor house in a valley setting with mature woodlands and fields beyond the gardens. It has not been done up to the nines but has been well and sensitively kept. Essentially, it has three wings, many gables and an archway under one section leading into a courtyard. There is a range of fine reception rooms, notably a drawingroom with tall windows front and rear and a white marble fireplace with Georgian grate.
The diningroom is almost 30 ft long with beamed walls and a carved wooden fireplace. Next door is a comfortable study. In the other wing of the house there is a particularly bright livingroom with a huge bay window and built-in glass book cases.
The kitchen has the conventional Aga and off it there is a spacious breakfastroom. There is also a series of utility rooms, including a store, laundry, and a wine cellar. The main bedroom is particularly spacious and includes a bathroom and dressingroom. There are five further bedrooms, two in a self-contained apartment.
