High on a hill overlooking rolling Wicklow fields is a semi-detached cottage that, while seemingly pastoral, is plugged into some of the capital’s busiest commuter links.
The owner of The Lodge, Rocky Valley Drive, works as a carpenter on set designs for the film industry, and spotted the property in 2016 when he purchased it for €253,000 in June of that year.
“The views were fantastic,” he says. As well as rolling fields that run down to Avoca’s original food hall and shop in Kilmacanogue there are views of the Irish Sea from the front of the property. The garden is bounded with pine fencing salvaged from the set of Penny Dreadful after filming wrapped. Prior to the coronavirus restrictions the owner had just completed the set of The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott, and featuring actor Matt Damon who took up residence in Dalkey, Co Dublin for the duration of lockdown.
The entrance to the one-bed property is via a porch and small hall, off which the main en suite bedroom is located to the left. Steps lead up to the dining section of the kitchen, which features a fashionable mustard-coloured island and extends the length of the property to the dining area. The views can be enjoyed through windows extending the width of the room. From outside, the kitchen, painted a soft white, can be accessed directly via a timber beam opening. These rustic posts featured on camera in Dracula’s lair, in Penny Dreadful. The kitchen is lit from above by a rooflight.
At the far end of the eat-in kitchen is a door leading to the living room which is up a step level. An internal window draws in dual-aspect light and the key feature here is the exposed granite gable wall. All the works were carried out by the owner and this is where he also installed a wood-burning stove.
This side of the property runs along the side of Rocky Valley Drive. Another door opens to a small hall where there is a shower room and steps leading up to the charming attic room, and it’s here that the views can be best enjoyed.
The east-facing garden gets lovely morning sunshine and is accessed via a granite patio and steps. The owner completed all the renovation and garden work, calling on friends for the plumbing and electrics.
The garden has two sheds for wood for the stove, one is filled with green wood that needs to dry out, and the other is stocked with seasoned timber that is ready for use. There is also oil-fired central heating throughout.
The property measures 86sq m/925sq ft with an additional 16sq m /172sq ft of attic space. It is on the market seeking €435,000 through agent SherryFitzGerald.
