Mountarmstrong, the hill on which the Georgian, mid-18th-century Mount Windsor House stands, has quite the storied past. Long before it was acquired by Charles Armstrong, the sheriff of Kildare, in 1720 as a site to build a family home, it was one of the waypoints on an ancient road, the slí dála that led from Naas, home of Kings, to Tara.
Many of the old Georgian features can still be seen in this elegant home outside Clane in north Co Kildare. The exterior of the house has been kept as it was centuries ago, but within, this property has seen a stunning transformation as its developer-owner spared no expense gutting the 285sq m (3067sq ft) four-bed house and completely refitting it to create the calm, stylish country retreat it is today.
Not just a beautiful home, Mount Windsor also possesses a small-scale equestrian set-up: the yard behind the house has seven stables, a barn, a tack-room and an apartment, and there are acres of paddocks beyond the expansive gardens. Spread over 15 acres, it would be an enviable location for a small training set-up.
The renovations on the house, undertaken in 2020, included re-roofing, rewiring and replumbing and the fitting of a new kitchen, as well as remodelling of some interior spaces.
A gravelled drive leads to the house, and there are curved granite steps to the front door. An old quoin surround on an interior hall door was found during renovations and the front hall was expanded.
On the left is a diningroom with a handsome marble fireplace and long views over the gardens. The sittingroom, with a green marble fireplace, is on the other side of the hall, and is papered in a luxurious linen wallpaper. Both of these rooms are south facing and filled with warm sunlight. The floors are engineered solid oak, with underfloor heating. The property has an air-to-water heating system and the Ber is B2.
Back in the hall on the left-hand side is a small study, papered in a vivid hunting print, and stairs leading to the first floor, which has the first of two bedroom wings. The bedrooms are beautiful, with the same gorgeous views as the reception rooms below. A stylish bathroom lies between them with a free-standing, claw-foot bath, more lovely wallpaper and French doors that open on to a small, railed balcony with more lovely views.
On the other side of the house is a large kitchen, which is connected to the hall via a butler’s pantry or galley kitchen. The attention to detail that went into the handcrafted kitchen is phenomenal. The owner wanted a country look that suited the house, and achieved it with tall, free-standing units, shiplap panelling and a large island with a Belfast sink beside an Aga stove.
An old oak beam in the ceiling neatly bisects the kitchen and dining areas, and beyond the kitchen is a guest WC, utility and bootroom, with a door leading outside to a series of curved outdoor sheds.
A barn-style oak door in the kitchen slides back to reveal a stairway leading to the second bedroom wing; this could be perfect for guests or young adults or teenagers. There are two bedrooms with more of the beautiful cabinetry seen everywhere in this house, and a bathroom between the bedrooms. There’s also a small comms room.
The gardens are stunning, with a series of granite steps descending from the terraces surrounding the front of the house into lush lawns, studded with an impressive amount of mature trees: oak, beech and willow. At the end of the sweeping lawn is a mini-forest, from which a steady stream of birdsong issues. A tennis court and a small secret garden are accessed through a beech hedge.
Mount Windsor is right beside 600 acres of woodland at Donadea Forest, and Clongowes Wood College is five minutes away by car. Clane is less than 10-minutes away and Maynooth and Naas are within a 20-minute drive, so although it feels deep in the country, connectivity is excellent. Mount Windsor is brought to market by joint agents Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes and Sherry FitzGerald O’Brady Flaherty, seeking €1.95m.
