One of the nicest features of Belville, Meath Road, Bray, is the small courtyard that lies off the kitchen. Old walls from next door frame a dining area laden with potted plants, hanging baskets and a vast array of hurricane lamps.
An electric awning overhead closes the space, sheltering diners from the sun or in the case of our recent summer – the rain.
To the rear of the courtyard is a small elevated garden with apple and plum trees which provide an annual bounty of fruit.
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The house, which has a footprint of 169sq m, retains all its period features with particularly impressive fireplaces in the reception rooms.
All the rooms enjoy original shutters, but new owners may want to replace the PVC windows with sash windows, in keeping with the property’s Victorian heritage.
The kitchen lies to the rear of the property, overlooking the garden and courtyard. While in perfectly good condition, and painted in sage green, there is scope to add more light into the room by replacing some of the windows with patio doors.
The property has four bedrooms, three of which are fine-sized doubles and a smaller box room to the front.
The master is spacious and bright thanks to a large bay window, and a wall of painted pine wardrobes provides lots of storage.
Meath Road is a popular location in Bray, being just a stone’s throw from the waterfront and the town centre. Next door – 1 Belgrave Villas, a house with the same footprint – was on the market last year with an asking price of €690,000. It appears on the property price register in January 2015, having sold for €375,000.
Number 2 could do with some cosmetic work – a lick of paint is needed in places – and is for sale through estate agent Sherry FitzGerald with an asking price of €695,000, which may be ambitious despite its many fine features.
