Claragh House in Ramelton, Co Donegal, is an imposing country pile, with grounds of 23 acres and an overall area of 723sq m (7782sq ft). Its nine bedrooms and vast reception rooms belie the fact the house has a charming, homely elegance that suits relaxed rather than formal living.
You enter the grounds via a stone bridge over the river Leannan, which bounds the property and is full of salmon. Andrew Davidson, son of the owner, remembers swimming and boating here growing up. His parents bought the house in the 1980s; it was built for the Watt family, famous distillery owners in nearby Derry, who had lived in Claragh since 1725, building the present house in 1890.
The craftsmanship in this Ber-exempt property is exemplary, built of snecked limestone with redbrick quoins on the corners, redbrick ribbed chimneystacks and striking six-over-one sash windows. Davidson’s parents redecorated it completely, highlighting its period features and putting a huge amount of time and work into the gardens to create classic, beautiful parklands.
The entrance to the house is to the rear, approached by a gravelled yard with a grass turning circle. The entrance hall has oak herringbone parquet floors, a handsome marble fireplace and a handcrafted timber staircase. This hall opens on to another entrance vestibule to the front of the house and gives on to the gardens and has a stained-glass fanlight with the Watt family crest.
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The reception rooms are vast. The drawingroom has intricate cornicing and a white marble Adams fireplace. The diningroom has French doors that open on to the lawns, and the billiards room has a fireplace, ideal for lounging against in-between strenuous after-dinner games. To offset all the grandeur, there is a family sittingroom that is cosy and welcoming.
A section of the house that is almost a wing contains the kitchen, scullery, pantry, wet room and offices. The kitchen and breakfastroom are lovely, with exposed brick walls, a striking blue Aga and the old fireplace arches with stove and hob now incorporated into them. Doors open from the kitchen on to a sheltered patio surrounded by pretty planting. There is a wine cellar in the basement.
The stairs to the first floor are lit by a large multi-pane window. There are nine bedrooms here, all doubles, and the main bedroom has an additional room that could be converted to an en suite or used as a dressingroom. There are two bathrooms on this floor. Two of the bedrooms are in use as art studios, and all have views over the beautiful gardens and grounds, which are studded with mature horse chestnut, beech and oak trees.
There are extensive outbuildings, albeit in a state of considerable disrepair but with huge potential to renovate and bring back into use as ancillary accommodation, with five stables and a huge hay loft over them.
Davidson remembers growing up here as idyllic, running through the house, messing about in boats on the river. The pretty town of Ramelton is less than 4km away and Letterkenny is 12km from the property. The pristine Rathmullan and Portsalon beaches are a short drive away while, for the sailing enthusiast, Lough Swilly is very close and there are excellent, extensive walking trails nearby at the Glenveagh National Park and the Errigal and Derryveagh mountains.
Claragh House is on the market for €1.45 million through joint agents Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes and Property Partners Paul Reynolds.
