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dream home
Saltwater swimming and tales of buried treasure at this €2.2m seaside mansion in Cork
A large main house, plus self-contained cottages and mews homes for sale in Kinsale.
WHETHER YOU’RE HOPING for a career change that will have you running a seaside country house in Cork, or simply want a whole lot of extra space for visiting family and friends, this property could be just the ticket for you.
With a history full of interesting and eccentric characters, Walton Court doesn’t just come with a plentiful list of period features, it comes with a story. For €2.2 million, you could play a role in the next chapter.
In the 1700 and 1800s, the estate passed through members of the Walton family. The Waltons were believed to have smuggled brandy and silk from France to Ireland to make a living, according to the family archives.
Several generations later, the estate was acquired by an eccentric Church of Ireland minister, who believed local rumours that the Walton’s treasure was buried on the estate. The property then passed to a retired Irish tea planter returning from India, among other owners.
Walton Court overlooks Oysterhaven Bay in Kinsale, Co Cork, with a lawn that slopes down to 400 metres of shorefront. The property has been meticulously restored a few times over the last several hundred years.
The estate is for sale in several parts, so you could buy just a portion (still a sizable portion) or you could purchase it in its entirety. One part consists of the main house and lower courtyard with five residential units, a cafe and conference facility, while the other part consists of the upper courtyard holiday cottages with designated parking.
In 1996, the property was taken on by an English couple, who undertook a significant restoration to bring it from a dilapidated state to its current glory. With the help of specialised artisan experts, reclaimed period fittings, the house has attracted the appreciation of the Georgian Society, and the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings.
The main house holds six bedrooms and five bathrooms, as well as commercial and family kitchens, drawing rooms, a conservatory and guest bar.
In the lower courtyard, you’ll find five self-contained cottages and apartments, the conference room, a heated seawater swimming pool and a café. The courtyard also contains a kitchen herb garden and a recreational area.
The upper courtyard includes seven mews houses constructed in 2006, and fourteen designated secure parking spaces; the rental income from these is significant.
Sloping down the lawn to the bay, the property also has several outbuildings, an orchard, two staff cottages and a boat house. Walton Court overlooks 400 metres of shoreline on Oysterhaven Bay.
Sitting southwest of Cork city, Walton Court is positioned in the heart of a popular tourist destination, and Kinsale is only 10 km away. Cork airport should take you only a twenty minute drive as well.
The starting price for lot one at Walton Court is €2,200,000, while lot two (seven holiday cottages) has an asking price of €295,000. Lot three covers the entire estate. Walton Court is on sale through Colliers International via Daft.ie.
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