Beech Tree Cottage, Carrickacroghery, Dromahair, Co. Leitrim, F91XH26

Realise your dream at enchanting Beech Tree Cottage Built circa 1830, this beautifully restored period residence is a refined blend of manor house grandeur with contemporary luxury. It has a true feeling of traditional charm and extraordinary privacy without the maintenance and isolation. Electric gates reveal an avenue that splits with thoughtful precision, right leading directly to the stable yard and left curving elegantly through towering trees towards the main house. The lime-rendered solid stone building with its ornate barge boards and decorative finials hints at the quality within. The original bifold entrance door opens into a magnificent reception hall with its Victorian parquet flooring and a sweeping cantilevered staircase. Three beautifully proportioned reception rooms unfold from here, each with a stunning period fireplace. Turn right for the atmospheric drawing room with its bay window, left into the calm library and onwards into the relaxed family snug which itself links into the heart of the home, the bespoke hand-painted kitchen. The layout flows effortlessly. A glazed hall door frames views of the garden beyond and leads naturally into the sunny open-plan dining and kitchen space with its contemporary 3m island, 4 oven Aga, quartz countertop and timber accents. Floor-to-ceiling doors flood the south-west light in and open directly onto the outdoor terrace and fire pit area, while just beyond, the magical fairy woods beckons. Throughout the house the attention to detail is meticulous and the marriage of old and new is seamless. Handmade door furniture, original wall panelling, restored cast-iron radiators and ceiling roses sit comfortably alongside zoned underfloor heating, modern water-heating stoves and a jacuzzi bath with a stunning view in one of the two family bathrooms. Gorgeous sash windows with working shutters and period marble fireplaces work perfectly with sliding walls of glass and integrated contemporary finishes. The generous scullery, bespoke pantry and spacious back hall ensure the house is homely and practical while remaining elegant and airy. There is even a little secret room to discover. The top of the house continues to delight with a large dual-aspect principal suite with chic ensuite and dressing room. The remaining bedrooms, all substantial doubles, are positioned beside the beautifully appointed family bathroom with its rain shower head and cast-iron claw-foot bath. Every window reveals the captivating beauty outside. Outbuildings The practical outbuildings nearest the main house include a log store, covered outdoor shower area, a covered drying tunnel and a charming original stone-built two-storey garden store. There is also a wonderful garden kitchen, a fully equipped gym and a very large two-storey studio, superbly restored with excellent scope for a broad range of uses including a creative workspace. In the yard itself you will find a substantial American Barn with its eight stables, a lofty two-storey Forge, a tack room, a further eight loose boxes and the manège, currently laid out as an organic market garden with multiple raised beds and fruit cages. Gardens and Grounds The house is enveloped by native woodland, an orchard and lush lawns which showcase the remarkable specimen trees brought back from around the world 150 years ago by the La Touche family. Among their number are mature beech, oak, sweet chestnut, Scots pine, evergreen oak, soaring California coastal redwoods and Irish yew. The gardens have benefited also from the expertise of Diarmuid Gavin, Jimi Blake of Hunting Brook Gardens and Anthony Fitzpatrick of Greenfeet. The paddocks lend themselves well to equestrian pursuits or hobby farming, while the woodland walks are magical and include a private path for strolling into nearby picturesque Dromahair village. History Dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, the house was originally built as a fishing and hunting lodge on the Lane-Fox estate and is noted in the 1837 Ordnance Survey. During the mid-19th century, it was occupied by a number of Church of Ireland curates, before being modernised in the 1870s under the direction of Major Octavius La Touche. The property remained associated with both the Lane-Fox and La Touche families into the 20th century, including Lieut. Col. George Richard Lane Fox, the Minister for Mines during the First World War, before passing to Miss Mary La Touche, daughter of the Major, who resided there until the 1940s. Set in the heart of Yeats Country, the property is surrounded by the kind of timeless woodland that inspired The Man Who Dreamed of Faeryland, where Yeats wrote "he stood among a crowd at Dromahair….. under that woven changeless roof of boughs". Beech Tree Cottage lies on an east-west axis facing towards historic Creevelea Abbey in nearby Dromahair, itself recently described in the Sunday Times as one of Ireland's prettiest villages. The adjacent River Bonet and nearby Lough Gill provide a wealth of water based activities including kayaking, swimming, fishing and boating. Being located so close to Sligo and the Wild Atlantic Way, it is easy to enjoy exceptional surfing, sailing and golf alongside a well-established food culture. The nearby County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point is regarded as one of Ireland's premier championship links courses. Sligo offers rail and bus services to Dublin on a daily basis and the hugely popular Ireland West Airport Knock is approximately 55 minutes away, while both Dublin and Belfast airports are equidistant at about 2hours, providing further connectivity to the UK and Europe. There are wonderful national schools close by and Sligo town offers many excellent secondary schools, a university and two hospitals. Services and Technology The property has been thoughtfully upgraded to offer both character and modern efficiency, incorporating a range of high spec, future ready features. These include an extensive renewable energy system with 40 solar panels, a 20kW generator for backup power, gigabit fibre broadband, a 3 phase electricity supply and an EV charging point. The house is fully connected to mains sewer and mains water supply.