All aboard for Terenure
Nod to local history is train of thought behind naming development Saint Pancras
ASKING PRICE: €800,000-€890,000 AGENT: Knight Frank (01) 634 2466
AT FIRST glance, it may seem that the developers of Saint Pancras, a new development in the affluent south Dublin village of Terenure, appropriated the name of a medieval London parish that’s now home to the St Pancras railway station, the terminus for the Eurostar rail link from continental Europe.
But the Terenure version has historical resonance of its very own. The elaborate gateway that forms the entrance to the new scheme from the south-eastern end of Mount Tallant Avenue — near the junction with Harold’s Cross Road — once belonged to a grand 19th-century villa called St Pancras House, which was also known as Mount Tallant Cottage.
A second entrance from the avenue led to a larger neighbouring villa, Mount Tallant House, that had Mount Tallant Avenue as its private driveway. But by the early 20th century, the avenue had become a public street that attracted
Saint Pancras, Terenure, Dublin 6W
industrial development. By 1926, the vast grounds of St Pancras House became home to the Clarnico-Murray sweets company, best known for making Clarnico Mint Cream, and the site was renamed St Pancras Works.
St Pancras House was likely demolished after 1968, according to a Dublin County assessment, and the gates and piers are all that remain of the villa. But the protected gateway is now enjoying another incarnation, this time as the entrance to a new Saint Pancras, a development of houses and apartments with design echoes of Mount Tallant Avenue’s period red-brick streetscape.
The scheme, which is launching this weekend, is the first for Archtree Developments, a new property company formed by Shane Barrett, Paul Whitaker and Tom Gilligan. When it’s finished, Saint Pancras will comprise 37 three- and fourbed terraced and detached three-storey homes and 30 apartments, all set around a landscaped communal green. The apartments are due to be released next year. For now, a three-bed terraced house with 1,711 sq ft of living space and a study from the B range is priced from €800,000. The three-bed is also available in a detached style from the C type, which has 1,702 sq ft of accommodation and a price-tag of €850,000. Prices for a four-bed, 2,002-sq ft mid-terraced home from the A design start at €890,000.
Designed by Reddy Architecture, the exteriors of each house feature a brick-and-render facade, with projected gables to the roof and reconstituted stone surrounds to the windows and doors, stringcourses, and UPVC facia, soffits and downpipes. Out front, there is a paved driveway, while the back garden comes with a patio paved with cobblelock brick.
Inside, 9ft-high ceilings to the ground floor give each home a light and airy feel, as do the large bay windows. Each staircase comes with painted softwood balustrades, varnished polished oak handrails and newel posts, and there are solid core regency-style doors throughout.
The kitchen/diner has French doors that open onto the patio and a fitted kitchen from Gallagher Kitchens. The latter space has quartz countertops and upstands, as well as solid painted shaker-style doors with washed-oak carcasses and soft-close hinges and drawers. Integrated appliances are included in the price if contracts are signed within 21 days.
Upstairs, Gallaghers also supplied the bedroom wardrobes, including the bespoke walkin wardrobes to the master bedroom on the second floor.
The bathrooms and ensuites are laid with Porcelanosa tiles and fitted with Villeroy & Boch sanitaryware. All the house types have a separate study and plenty of storage, including a large attic that can be accessed via a pull-down ladder.
The A3-rated properties are equipped with an energy-efficient condensing gas boiler.
Prospective buyers with families will have the pick of top fee-paying schools on their doorstep, such as Alexandra College, St Mary’s College and Terenure College, and will be just a six-minute drive from Bushy Park. St Stephen’s Green is a 13-minute drive away — traffic permitting.
Viewings of the Saint Pancras showhouse will be held between 10am and 12pm tomorrow and Sunday.