Dating from 1870 – not quite as far back as the prehistoric monument it is named after – Stonehenge, on Killiney Avenue is an imposing Victorian residence in this affluent south Co Dublin seaside suburb.
Accessed via electric gates on Killiney Avenue – a road that links Killiney Hill Road to Church Road – the house now sits on a reduced 0.6 acre site. It was previously on the market in 2019 seeking €2.75million with a different agent, when the gardens then occupied 0.9 of an acre.
The property extends to a sizeable 520sq m (5,600sq ft). Though in need of a substantial upgrade, it still retains many of its period details, including original timber parquet flooring, cornicing, ceiling roses and handsome marble fireplaces.
The garden was reduced in size after planning permission was secured to construct a four bedroom detached house to the rear of the property. With a proposed sedum roof and low slung contemporary form, the design by Extend Architects was developed in order to provide minimum intrusion to the imposing original in the adjacent garden.
The fact that the site is sloped – with Stonehenge located at the top of this slope – also means that the new build will nestle into the site, hence reducing visual impact. The site, according to Peter Kenny of Knight Frank who is handling the sale, has sold to a local architect who will construct the new property, and the asking price for Stonehenge is now reduced to €2 million.
The property – which is an executor sale and home to the same family for the past 46 years – was reconfigured in recent times to accommodate its elderly residents on the ground floor. This goes to explain why there are now two kitchens; one at garden level and a second just off the entrance at hall level.
While it will require deep pockets to renovate the entire house due to its size, there is great scope to revive this home from its current jaded grandeur into a serious statement home. It currently has seven bedrooms and seven reception rooms, but new owners will more than likely reduce the number of bedrooms to accommodate en suite facilities.
The gardens still retain a good size on the 0.6 acre plot, and while a new wooden fence forms the boundary between the house and site to the rear, clever planting would easily provide further privacy. The proposed vehicular access for the new build will not impinge on Stonehenge itself.
One of the benefits for new owners is that the house is not a protected structure, so the headaches of reconfiguration and restoration under stricter preservation guidelines will not apply. However, a good conservation architect could work wonders to combine Stonehenge’s lovely period details with the comforts of contemporary living.
