This charming cottage fating from 1780 is opposite Newtown School in Waterford. It is set inside a private walled site at the junction of Wilkin Street and Lower Newtown Road in a historical part of the city, and a highly sought after location, though many who pass it by would barely know it’s there.
The house extends to a generous 242sq m and is surrounded by mature walled gardens. It’s also within easy reach of De La Salle College, Ursuline Secondary School, St Ursula’s and St Declan’s, along with University Hospital Waterford, which is about 2km away.
Past its travertine stone flooring, a stained-glass entrance opens into a hallway off which lies an open-plan pastel blue-green kitchen/living/diningroom under a vaulted ceiling. The space is heated by a large wood-burning stove and the room opens to the well-stocked gardens via a set of French doors.
Opposite that lies what the owners call “the green room”, which has newly restored original timber floorboards and a fireplace within a cast-iron surround, while walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling shelving for the family’s book collection.
Another reception room, “the yellow room”, has walnut flooring, a wood-burning stove, and to the rear lies a large utility with ample bespoke storage and a further storeroom.
Upstairs are four newly renovated bedrooms, three of which retain their original cast-iron fireplaces. Two bedrooms have new semi-solid wood flooring while the larger room has newly fitted carpet.
Outside, the property exhibits old-world charm with meandering gravel pathways through neat box hedging, while old fruit trees can be found behind a rose garden, living up to its name of Sweetbriar.
There’s also a west-facing dining space – perfect for sunsets – along with several outbuildings including a solid-fuel store.
Its C2 rating is good given its age and the fact that the house has two wood-burning stoves.
The charming house is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €550,000.