This incredible Wicklow period property is on sale for €1.2 million

Owned and lovingly cared for by the current owners for over 50 years, this truly unique property presents a rare opportunity for a discerning buyer to secure a spacious and light-filled family home with beautiful gardens.

Located in a dramatic setting, this Wicklow property is set against a backdrop of sloping lawns graced with specimen trees. The entrance bridge overlooks a formal walled garden leading to a private driveway with ample parking, bordered on one side by a planted granite ‘alpine’ wall and on the other by large walled flower beds leading to the upper levels of the lawns and garden, offering a fine welcome to this attractive and much-loved family home.

Inside this carefully maintained and light-filled property, a glazed porch area opens onto a formal double reception room with period windows and wonderful garden views. A large white stone fireplace with wood-fired stove forms the centrepiece of the room. Double French doors from the living room open onto a spacious hallway lined with bookshelves which may also serve as an additional reading/study area.

A generously proportioned and modern kitchen diner opens onto its own west-facing patio with a rustic feel afforded by the vintage yellow brickwork, reflecting similar attractive brickwork at the entrance to the property.

Downstairs also features a sunny primary bedroom with adjacent bathroom, airing cupboard and wardrobe storage. A particular feature of the main bedroom is the view of the garden through an extra-large picture window which extends across one side of the room. An additional feature is the outdoor area accessed from this room.

Upstairs includes four good sized bedrooms (three double and one single), two of which boast period window features, while the other two have double aspect windows. Also situated upstairs is a generous landing lined with bookshelves, a family bathroom with bath and separate walk-in shower, and a tranquil study/home office. The study/home office opens onto its own private patio at the back of the house facing the upper levels of the garden.

Additional features include a large garage which provides excellent storage space for all garden materials and also serves as a useful utility/laundry area plumbed for a washing machine. This large and flexible space includes a full size garage door to the rear should a covered area be required for a car.

A particular feature of Pembroke Lodge is its stunning and beautifully maintained gardens designed by Martin Walsh. The cleverly conceived garden design makes full use of the various garden levels as detailed in a feature article by Shirley Lanigan in ‘The Irish Garden’ in 2015.

Well-designed garden levels throughout the property are used to showcase an impressive and broad-ranging array of plants, some of rare provenance. Areas of shade are bestowed with fascinating planting designs in addition to sunnier spots.

The bridge at the entrance overlooks a sunken walled garden on the left and a spring garden to the right with choice early bulbs and shade-loving plants and shrubs.

A highlight is the sunken garden which evokes a true sense of history. It was created out of a railway cutting made as part of the planned Bray-Enniskerry railway (works commenced circa 1885 but were abandoned due to lack of funding). This garden features raised beds containing a wide variety of plants to suit full-sun planting at one end, merging with shade-loving plants and leading to a fernery at the bridge end of the garden.

This area contains choice ferns and mature Himalayan Rhododendrons which reach up to the railed bridge at the entrance to the drive. A mature Alder tree provides shade and is underplanted with spring bulbs. A double Beech hedge with its own hidden pathway offers a natural organic boundary to the western side of the property, in fine contrast to the old railway granite wall on the eastern side of the sunken garden. Additional features enhancing the space include a paved patio favoured for breakfast and morning coffee and a formal lawned area that has played host to a range of lawn games and events over the years.

A south-west facing terrace with Liscannor stone paving is located to the rear of the garden at the same level as the house. This seating area overlooks a south facing walled garden planted for colour throughout the year, from early spring bulbs to summer herbaceous planting and autumn colour. This area is a particular sun trap, and a perfect location for dining at lunchtime and in the evening.

To the back of the house, overlooked by the kitchen, a contained pebbled garden area provides a sheltered option for outdoor dining. An outdoor covered area beside the garage will appeal to garden enthusiasts as a potting area for plants and is bordered by a herb garden enhanced by climbing clematis.

The mid-level of the sloped gardens to the back of the house features gravelled terraces with Mediterranean style planting leading to a French style potager with herbs and vegetables. This area also includes a paved patio which can also be accessed from the upstairs study.

Climbing plants are used to great effect throughout the garden and include a very attractive wisteria on the front of the house. Many varieties of clematis, jasminoides, climbing roses and hydrangeas are dotted throughout the property.

Garden enthusiasts will be enthralled by the variety of planting in this carefully curated landscape, a design which beautifully complements the unique sloped setting and the fine specimen trees. These include an attractive pair of twin Japanese Cedars and other tree specimens dotted throughout. The flower beds at mid-level also include a remarkable pair of mature Japanese acers.

Pembroke Lodge is currently on the market for €1.2 million. To arrange a viewing of this incredible Wicklow period property, contact HJ Byrne Estate Agents or take a virtual tour through our gallery below…