On the edge of ancestral seat
Carton Wood, Maynooth, Co Kildare ASKING PRICE: €310,000- €430,000 AGENT: Savills (01) 6181300 Gentry does it for scheme aimed at both the first-time buyer and trader-uppers
CARTON Wood in Maynooth may be a new development, but buyers will have a taste of a history spanning eight centuries because of the scheme’s proximity to the Carton House estate, the ancestral seat of the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster. Carton Wood is just off Carton Avenue, the three-lined road that links the university town to Carton House’s demesne, home to a four-star hotel, two golf courses and 1,100 acres of land. The scheme will also have plenty of green space of its own: there are plans afoot for a park with walking tracks and playing fields between Carton Wood and Carton Avenue.
The scheme, developed by Anthony Neville Homes, is aimed at both the first-time buyer and trader-uppers from north Kildare in search of more space.
There will be 136 units in total across eight different styles when Carton Wood is eventually complete. The scheme first launched a year ago but the second phase is finally coming on stream this weekend. It consists of 30 three and four-bed terraced and semi-detached properties, all laid out over two floors.
Prices in the latest phase start at €310,000 for a three-bed terraced home with 1,047 sq ft of space from the type E range, and go up to €360,000 for a semi-detached version measuring 1,264 sq ft. The type B style is a four-bed semi-detached property extending over 1,446 sq ft that costs from €420,000 to €440,000. Prices for the type C four-bed, which is similar in size but sits on a corner site, start at €430,000.
The latter design has the most unusual layout of all the house types in this tranche because of its angular shape. Both the kitchen/diner and the living room span the full depth of the property and overlook the front of the house, and the front entrance is to the middle rather than to one side. Because of this layout, the kitchen-cum-diner and living room kicks are dual aspect, so have plenty of natural light.
The front elevations of the timber-framed homes are finished in a combination of brick and self-coloured render, with a flat zinc canopy over the recessed green front door, sandstone window surrounds and concrete roof tiles. Bay windows, brick boundary walls topped by iron railings, and a cobble-look driveway add to the traditional look of the homes. To the rear, there is a cobble-lock paved patio and a lawn.
In the type A and B styles, the kitchen/dining room to the back is in an L-shape, with space for a family lounge or kids’ den to the extended rear that overlooks the back garden. The kitchen is fitted with units from Cawleys Furniture, and integrated Teka appliances are included in the sale price if contracts are signed and exchanged within 28 days.
There is a separate living room up front, where buyers have a choice of finishes for the white Balmoral fireplace with a natural gas insert. Under the stairs, there are storage drawers. On the first floor, all styles have a master ensuite apart from the E design. Zoned central heating at the A3-rated homes is provided by an efficient gas boiler while roof-mounted PV panels top up electricity supplies.
Carton Wood is less than 1km from Maynooth town centre. The exit to the M4 motorway is just 3km away, and there are frequent rail services to Dublin city centre from Maynooth train station.
Viewings will take place tomorrow and Sunday, between 11am and 1pm.