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Cliff Cottage, Cobh, Co. Cork.
Ref: R0323
FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY IN ONE LOT
Reduced from €1.2 million to €900,000
SOLDQuietly tucked away in mature woodland, with panoramic harbour views from 180 metres of harbour frontage this classical period property with graceful reception rooms, 4 bedrooms, kitchens and bathroom with a wealth of original features offers enormous further potential. Historic gardens with development potential. Steps down to own beach. A veritable nature haven with its own microclimate and a gem of a period property in an enchanting setting.
Cliff Cottage is set in total privacy, at the end of its own driveway, which leads down through mature woodland to a parking area above the house. Before construction of this road, in the 1970's, access to Cliff Cottage was by a footpath leading to fishermen's cottages (now demolished) near the shore, and thence by steps down to the terrace upon which the house stands. In those days, many visitors were brought to the house by donkey along these steep and narrow tracks.
Set on the shores of Great Island, and at the eastern end of CobhTown, Cliff Cottage is superbly situated overlooking the main bend of the deep water shipping channel of Cork Harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world. Consequently all the shipping entering or leaving Cork, sometimes with Pilot Cutters alongside, swing round in the shipping channel in front of Cliff Cottage and the property itself is marked as a conspicuous navigation mark on the maritime chart of Cork Harbour.
Surrounded by its own historic woodlands and gardens, the property is one of a few "elegant villas" in "wooded demesnes" accessed from French's Walk. The next house eastward is Cuskinny, the home of the French family (French's Walk leading from their woodland), which is linked with Cliff Cottage by plant exchange (See below).
The property is also close to Cuskinny Bay (the eastern limit of Cobh Town), Cuskinny Marsh (an ornithologist's paradise) and a National Heritage Area with the Marlogue Woods and the East Ferry Marina beyond.
Cobh, formerly the country's main emigration port, is a striking town - with many distinctive streets climbing the steep slope of a hill on top of which is St. Colman's Cathedral. Cobh has a wide range of banks, shops and commercial facilities, together with a good selection of pubs and restaurants to suit all tastes. The town has a large number of luxury cruise liners and Tall Ships visiting the deep water terminal, all of which will pass close to Cliff Cottage. Cultural facilities and entertainments, often focused on Cobh's strategic location and its rich maritime history include Cobh Museum, the Sirius Arts Centre, "The Queenstown Story", Cork Harbour cruises and the Titanic Trail. With over 5 km of water frontage, Cobh is popular for a wide range of water based activities including wind surfing, sailing and deep sea fishing, whilst the Promenade provides easy walking with superb town, park and sea views.
One of the main advantages of Cobh is the railway connection with Cork City with frequent trains allowing easy access to the city centre. Cork, the second largest city in the country, has mainline road, rail and air connections and extensive and substantial cultural, commercial and retail facilities. Cork Airport is some 30 minutes from the property, via the Cross River Ferry, with connections to over 40 scheduled European destinations.
THE HOUSE: This detached three bay two-storey house was built c. 1820 was originally known as Clifden or Clifton Cottage either after Clifden, Co. Galway or Clifton, a prosperous area of Bristol, one of the U.K's main ports. Possible naval links with England in Victorian times when Cork Harbour was of great strategic importance, would have seen many grain and tea clippers and other tall ships under sail creating a great sight from the windows of Cliff Cottage as they sailed up and down the harbour channel.
The house is listed on the Register of Protected Structures on the 2005 Development Plan, which records the property as having pitched slate roof with rendered chimney stacks, rendered walls, timber sash windows, and timber panelled door.
The property is described as: "This early nineteenth century house is representative of the villa style architecture that was employed in the residential development of Cobh throughout the nineteenth century. Set overlooking the sea, this fine building forms part of the picturesque nineteenth century urban fabric that makes Cobh a unique and architecturally significant town."
The house is truly a fine example of a Georgian seaside villa with wide hallways, vertically sliding double hung sash windows, 9' high ceilings and with many original features still intact. The house is south facing, of stone construction under a pitched slate roof and provides a fine period home of great distinction with extensive accommodation.
A summary of the accommodation, with room aspects and approximate measurements is as follows:
Entrance Hall: (E), 13'2 max. x 15'7 max. with original terracotta tiled floor, 9' high ceiling, original staircase rising to the first floor and doors to sitting room, kitchen, dining room and to :
Rear lobby, with large under stairs cupboard and doors to:
Pantry/Store: (E) 7' x 8'7,
Old Kitchen: (W) 11'3 max. x 11'4 max., with door to outside. Large chimney breast, incorporated into a storage cupboard.
Dining Room: (S) 17'2 x 13'8 with polished pine floor, 9' high ceiling, large fireplace with heavy cast iron wood burning stove. Harbour views.
Kitchen: (S) 13'4 max. x 11'3, polished pine floor, modern range of attractive cottage style solid wood kitchen units with laminated work surfaces, storage cupboards above and below. Fitted with Electrolux twin oven. Further range of matching storage units with laminated work surface, one and half stainless steel sink inset, further storage cupboards below and above. Recessed and folding original window shutters. Lovely views of the harbour.
Lounge: (S) 16'5 x 15'3, with wide board pine flooring, 9' high ceiling, door to outside, large contemporary modern Liscannor stone fireplace surround and hearth, fitted with Waterford cast-iron wood burning stove.
Original staircase with solid wood balustrades and polished mahogany hand rail leading to a Half Landing with door to:
Bathroom: (E) attractive pine wainscotting surrounding, cast iron bath, fully tiled surround, Triton t90xr electric power shower above the bath with concertina bath screen.
The staircase continues to:
Full Landing with wide board pine flooring and doors to bedrooms 1, 2, 3, 4 and toilet.
Toilet: (E) with toilet, wash hand basin and white vinyl floor covering.
Bedroom 1: (S) 15'7 x 17'8 with wide board polished pine flooring, superb views over the harbour, cast iron Victorian fireplace, wash hand basin. Radiator.
Bedroom 2: (S) 16'5 x 13'8, carpeted throughout, most attractive original Victorian cast iron fireplace with ceramic tiles to the side, panoramic views over the harbour, wash basin, radiator.
Bedroom 3: (S) 11'6 x 12'6, carpeted throughout with full range of fitted bookshelves, small blue Victorian fireplace with inset decorative ceramic panels. Radiator.
Bedroom 4: (W) 11'3 max. x 11'9 max., carpeted throughout, radiator, wash hand basin.
THE GROUNDS: To the south of the residence is a flag stone terrace, enclosed within a stone and brick retaining wall and herbaceous borders set in the terrace. The views of Cork Harbour from this terrace provide a superb setting for outdoor entertaining. From the terrace, steps lead down a private path to Kitchen Cove, popular for bathing and where sailors used to land to light a fire to cook a meal or upon which to make tea. This beach is still used for bathing and sunbathing, being completely private at high tide.
From the terrace, pathways lead west along the cliff top to the extensive harbour frontage and the old formal gardens. Cliff Cottage has a unique location being on a terrace above the sea and, sheltered from the winds which hit the cliff higher up above the garden, with its own microclimate in which plants flourish.
Following on from the creation of the arboretum by the Smith-Barry family at Fota House in the 1840's surplus plants were given to Cuskinny and many of these were shared with Cliff Cottage. Consequently the gardens of Cliff Cottage comprise a sloping area with wide terraces (some paved), pathways and steps with a superb collection of mature trees, fruit trees and exotic plants some of which were planted contemporaneously to the construction of the residence. Mature stands of oak and beach, Monterey Cypresses, Australian tree heaths and daisy bushes, ornamental myrtles with beautiful cinnamon coloured bark were all planted in the mid 1800's.
The present owners have, during their 16 years of occupation, extended this range of exotica with large plantings of Chilean Southern Beach, Persian Ironwood and Liquidamber, supplementing further plantings of fig and damson trees, roses and shrubs, herbs and grasses, to complement the more common rhododendrons, azaleas, fuchsia and camellias.
Consequently the waterfront gardens of Cliff Cottage are a pictorial delight at almost any time of the year from the snowdrops, primroses, bluebells of Spring to the richly coloured leaves of the Liquidamber in the Autumn.
As befits such a sheltered, secluded, fertile and forested area, the gardens of Cliff Cottage are home to an enormous variety of birds both common and less frequently seen visitors.
With its position on the edge of Cork Harbour, all manner of gulls, kittiwakes, herons, cormorants, scaups and grebes can be seen from the windows and vistas of this property, on the sea or the beach below while common and bottlenose dolphins are frequent visitors, Orcas have been seen morning and evening just off Kitchen Cove, audibly blowing. Seals are frequently seen swimming by or stopping and eating fish caught in front of the garden.
Mackerel and bass can be caught from the rocks below Cliff Cottage. There is ample space to further improve the shoreline facilities with the creation of a pier, subject to any necessary consents.
DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL: Although the residence, Cliff Cottage, is listed as a Protected Structure, all the property is within Cobh Development Plan area as adopted by Cobh Town Council. The property with over 180 metres of frontage to Cork Harbour and extending to 1.8 acres offers substantial development potential for a number of sites, which could be arranged without materially affecting the privacy and charm of the existing residence.
The vendors had applied for planning permission in 2006 for a second dwelling house on the property and, although this was refused, the refusal was solely on the grounds of the lack of a suitable water supply to the second property. Further details of this application can be obtained from the auctioneers. Since then the vendors have secured a further water supply to the property from adjoining properties to the North.
SERVICES: Mains electricity and water, private drainage system. Telephone currently connected.
SOLICITOR, having Carriage of Sale: Declan Barry, George Mills & Co. Solicitors, 27 Washington Street, Cork.
* Click on picture to view *
Entrance Hall Upper Hall Aerial Photo Front Elevation Dining Room The Lounge One of the South
facing bedroomsHarbour Edge Gardens Harbour Edge Gardens Kitchen Cove
at low tidePart of the Orchard Part of South facing terrace QE2 arriving off Cliff Cottage Independence of the Seas(largest cruise liner) leaving off Cliff Cottage Summer at Cliff Cottage Terrace to South Upper Woodland & Path View south to Harbour Mouth Auracaria Auracana Tree East Elevation Part of the Driveway
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