Inside the ground-floor apartment on the grounds of Sean Connery’s former Bray home
Traditional yet modern, this beautiful Bray property is famed for its associations with James Bond star Sean Connery who stayed there while filming in Ireland.
Located down a private, tree-lined avenue off the Kilcroney side of Bray’s Herbert Road, is Violet Hill – a neo-Gothic Victorian mansion designed by William Fogarty. Dating back to the early 1860s, the property became seat of the Darley-Miller family until the late 1970s when the property was subdivided into four residential units. It was at this time that Amber, the three-bedroom ground-floor apartment, became an entity in its own right.
The Irish Times reports that a former stables and coach house on the land has also been converted in the intervening years, bringing the number of dwellings on the site to nine.
In 2020, Violet Hill House went on the market for €1.495 million. A protected structure, it sits on 3.3 acres of land and features large, bright rooms with generous windows and ceiling heights throughout.
Closely linked to Bond star Sean Connery, the actor lived at Violet Hill in the seventies when he was working on sci-film Zardoz and First Great Train Robbery, both of which were made in the nearby Ardmore Studios. Known to host quite lavish parties for fellow actors such as Peter Sellers and Alistair MacLean, Connery’s gatherings had quite the reputation.
Inside, the decor oozes elegance and style, combining period elegance with contemporary design. Features such as high ceilings and decorative plasterwork blend seamlessly with newer additions which modernise the property and bring it up to 21st-century standards.
Recent improvements include a sleek new kitchen design, new bathrooms, high insulation standards, retrofitted double glazing by Pilkington Spacia, and air-to-water central heating.
The ground-floor apartment is accessed from the car-packing bay, which leads through a wonderful outdoor terrace area up to the front door. A tiled hallway with a period fireplace surround welcomes you inside. This leads into the dual-aspect living room which features a mezzanine gallery library with exposed beams and an ornate marble fireplace.
Further inside is the kitchen which has been fitted with Miele steam and regular ovens, chic cabinetry and polished marble-effect countertops. An adjacent utility room has been plumbed for a dishwasher and washing machine and has enough space for a clothes dryer and sink too.
Three bedrooms, two of which are ensuite, complete the accommodation. The principal bedroom suite has its own fireplace with period surround, a pendant chandelier and lush carpeting. Panelling features in both this room and the luxury ensuite bathroom which has a tiled floor, impressive repro-Edwardian multipoint glazed shower cabinet, Heritage period-style wash basin, and a roll-top claw-foot free-standing bath.
The second bedroom is a dual-aspect room with direct garden access thanks to glazed patio doors leading outside. The third bedroom features the same lush carpeting, a chandelier pendant, and a sliding door out to the ensuite wet room and shower.
Externally, the grounds are just as impressive as the interior and comprise three principal zones. As previously mentioned, there is a dedicated private parking bay, to the right of which is a woodland glade with a chalet-style hobby shed with light, a garden/tool shed, and a fuel store. Between the parking bay and hall door entrance, a landscaped terrace with box-hedging planters has been designed to create an outdoor space for entertaining, while to the gable end of the residence, there is a private garden.
Surrounded by nature and yet just a short distance from Bray, the property enjoys the quiet serenity of a country home without having to sacrifice on setting. Local transport links include both the DART and citybound bus services and there is a wealth of amenities in the area including schools, leisure and retail. Avoca Handweavers at Glencormac is also just minutes away along with the picturesque village of Enniskerry and the Powerscourt Demense.
Currently on the market for €795,000, the property is on sale through Sherry FitzGerald Bray. Early viewing is recommended, however, you can take a closer peek inside this fabled Wicklow property in our gallery below.