Wells House and land on market for up to €7.5m
Selling Wexford property after 55 years was difficult decision for owners, writes Samantha McCaughren
WEXFORD period property Wells House and Gardens, which is now a leading tourist attraction, is being put on the market by owners the Rosler family.
This will bring to an end the family’s 55-year relationship with the Gorey property, which now hosts weddings and corporate events, as well as house tours and a range of other activities.
Dating back more than 400 years, the house has over 40 rooms and is being sold with over 184 acres of land. Market sources said the house was expected to sell for in excess of €4.5m, although it could sell for up to €7.5m if an adjoining 285 acres of top-class agricultural land was being purchased along with the property.
The property comes with a craft courtyard and five self-catering chalets. Alongside the house is Mrs Stone’s restaurant, which can seat 100 patrons, and Robertson Hall, which can accommodate functions for up to 160 guests.
The Tudor gothic house was built in the late 1600s by John Warren, a soldier to Oliver Cromwell. During the 1800s, English architect Daniel Robertson, best known for his work in creating the stunning gardens at Powerscourt House in Co Wicklow, redesigned the property.
The property was bought by German industrialist Gerhard Rosler in early 1964 and is now owned by his son, Uli, and his wife Sabine, who inherited it in February 2011.
“The passion and the mission was to restore the house and grounds to what they were in the mid-1800s,” she told the Sunday Independent.
“It is a working farm as well, and we knew there was no way we could restore the house and grounds unless we opened it to the public.”
They did so with support from Wexford County Council and other local financial supports in 2012.
It became the top tourist attraction in Co Wexford in 2016. Around 100,000 people visit the property annually, although that number has reduced since its peak of 120,000 in 2016.
To counter this fall, the property has moved into weddings and corporate events.
Sabine said a new owner was needed to continue on their work in the longer term.
She said: “It’s a very emotional decision for us. We’ve put our whole lives into it. I absolutely love it. She is a beautiful house; it’s just that she requires a long-term commitment.
“Everybody has business challenges and for us now to continue, we would have to look at the next eight or 10 years with investment and things we would like to do. Needless to say, I have a list that would go on forever.”
However, Sabine is now 62 and she said that it was time for someone else to take on an eight to 10-year plan for the property.
“We will look for the right owner with the right values,” she said.
The house was previously put on the market shortly before the recession and there was speculation that it could become a hotel. DNG Wexford is handling the sale.