“It feels like you’re in the countryside here,” I say, when I arrive to Windy Nook, located at the end of a quiet tree-lined lane off Westminster Road in Foxrock. A delivery person had recently said the same, says the daughter of the late owners, who had owned the house for about 45 years.
Windy Nook, a four-bedroom property extending to 238sq m (2,562sq ft), is about 150 years old and sits on 0.44 hectares (1.1 acres) of land. There is a tennis court on the grounds, the sport was a passion for one of the late owners which she passed on to her children, and the gardens are mature and pretty – once a wonderland for the grandchildren, all of whom are now adults themselves.
The home, built in a Tudor style complete with a turret, tells the story of the family who lived here, from the cared-for garden to the leather-bound books in the foyer, but the property also offers plenty of scope for someone to extend and modernise it. With an asking price of €3.5 million, selling through DNG, an owner looking for a home in this area will require deep pockets not only to purchase the house but to potentially renovate it.
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The ample grounds also provide development opportunities, including multi-unit options, which are outlined in a feasibility study that is available on request. There is pedestrian access to Springfield Park to the side of the site, offering a handy shortcut to Loreto College, which is a five-minute walk away.
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Past the long driveway of loose stones, there are steps up to the entrance which leads into the foyer; there is a redbrick fireplace and a bookshelf inset in the wall here. To the left off the hall is a large drawingroom with two reception areas with an arch in the ceiling between them. There is light from all around and a small circular orangery which makes a lovely reading nook. There is access to the outdoor patio areas here, with an upper and a lower terrace to catch the sun at different times of the day.
The diningroom is through an alcove off the drawingroom; built in the turret of the property, it has a pleasing oval shape. There is also a comfortable livingroom on this side of the house, and swapping the red carpet for wood would instantly modernise the space.
On the other side of the property is a small kitchen with quite dated units – a new owner will likely look to update and extend this room out to the garden or knock through to the adjoining snug, subject to planning permission. The snug is a cosy room with a large window looking out to the garden; there is also a utility space off this room.
There are three double bedrooms, a single bedroom and a bathroom upstairs. The main bedroom has an en suite shower room which could do with a cosmetic refresh. The property has an E2 Ber, which a new owner will likely look to improve.
Windy Nook on Golf Lane is a 10-minute walk up Westminster Road from Foxrock village, where you can get a great cup of coffee at Grumps and a bite to eat at the Gables and Kerb. It is a two-minute drive from the N11 and 12km from St Stephen’s Green.
