Temple Wood, bounded by the stone walls of Carton House, once the seat of the Duke of Leinster, is a gated enclave of beautifully designed homes, each on its own large plot. This collection of large homes in a sylvan setting, complete with resident deer, meanders around the perimeter of the course at Carton House Golf Club.
The owners of 13 Temple Wood have lived here since it was built for them according to the design of Scott Wallace of Demesne Architects in 2015. The 357sq m (3,842sq ft) T-shaped house faces east with a number of its reception rooms benefiting from southerly and westerly sun. That favourable orientation wasn’t a big consideration for the owners, however, as they spent much of their time outside in the garden, which extends to more than an acre and is complemented by extensive terraces to the rear of the house.
The property, with its exterior mix of render, warm stone and cedar cladding, sits on a gently sloping hill, adding to its charm. The entrance hall has the proverbial wow factor, with plenty of walnut-framed windows looking out on to the terraces, a double-height atrium and a bespoke stairway in oak and glass.
The consistent and steady use of materials such as walnut, used for floors and doors, brings unity to what could otherwise be an unwieldy space: the rooms flow seamlessly from and into each other. And with so much passive heating coming in through all the windows on sunny days, the air-to-water system with underfloor heating was barely used by the owners. The Ber rating is an enviable A3, which is all the more impressive when one considers the size of the property.
A sunlit corridor on the left of the hall has three bedrooms, two of which share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom and a guest room with its own en suite at the end. To the right of the foyer there’s a long kitchen/dining/family room. The kitchen is handcrafted, country-style with granite countertops. Sliding doors open on to the terrace from the family room, which has windows on three sides.
More doors in the kitchen open on to a terrace the owners used for evening dining and barbecues. Behind the kitchen is a utility room that surpasses most suburban kitchens for size, with a dumbwaiter ready to transport food to the diningroom above it. Beyond the utility room are the boot room and a door leading out to the carport and the garage.
To maximise the views over the golf course, the formal rooms used for entertaining are upstairs, which benefit from extremely high, 10ft ceilings, extensive glazing and balcony terraces. The owners loved having breakfast outside the diningroom on the terrace facing east, while another terrace outside the sittingroom is a private sun trap.
There’s enough space on the upstairs landing for a nook with a couch and a telescope if one is so inclined. It’s a perfect spot both for stargazing and for casually observing the movement of deer that wander undisturbed throughout the demesne. There’s more than 1,000 acres of land to walk, with many trails laid out, while all the amenities of the luxurious five-star Carton House Hotel are a short stroll away for residents.
Most of the rest of number 13′s upper floor is given over to an impressive main suite, comprising a large bedroom with a spa-like en suite, a well-equipped walk-in wardrobe and a home office.
The house sits comfortably within the grounds of Carton Demesne and is just a few minutes’ drive from Maynooth town with its university, schools and shopping. The property is readily accessible thanks to the nearby M4 motorway. Number 13 Temple Wood is for sale through Coonan Property seeking €1.825 million.
