Like to Own A Little Downs History?

Rock House on Old Downs Road

e touched on the history of Willow Grove’s Rock House back in April 2017, with loco historian Shay Clear, and we’ve been wondering about this abandoned house ever since.

Once a small farm holding with a bar and a shop, Rock House thrived until its doors closed to the public in the early 1960s.

Sure, Bobby Devereux had the Willow Grove’s needs for sweets and booze sown up just around the corner.

Now, the 1,821.25 square-feet Rock House – sitting on 3 acres – is on the market, for a rather cool €1.15m.

“The three-bed detached dwelling with separate garage requires complete refurbishment and new owners may wish to refurbish the main dwelling or seek a new planning permission for a replacement dwelling on 0.6 acres,” states McGovern Estates, who are handling the sale.

“The site also has potential for further development of the remaining c. 2.4 acres included with the lot and that “these sites are likely to have restrictive planning permissions, but nonetheless offer a wonderful opportunity to a discerning purchaser”.

“Located in the private setting of Old Downs Road, rarely does the opportunity arise to acquire a detached family home set in the heart of Wicklow countryside yet so near to the amenities of Greystones town and the villages of Delgany, Kilcoole and Newtownmountkennedy.”

True that.

Inside, the residence boasts an entrance hall with Edwardian mosaic tiled floor and solid wood stairs leading to a family bathroom and three bedrooms, two of which have Parquet wood flooring along with vaulted ceilings and a cast iron fireplace.

The dining room also boasts solid wood flooring, a Stanley multi-fuel stove with back boiler and original oak beam, while the living room has an open fire, solid marble mantle, cast iron inset and tiled hearth.

When it comes to the old bar entrance, the sitting room also boasts solid wood flooring, dual aspect windows and solid wood beams. The large kitchen also features solid wood flooring, wall and floor-based storage cupboards and a stainless steel sink unit.

So, everything you might want out of an historic building, including the kitchen sink.

You can check out ye olde Rock House on the McGovern website here, and get some of that local history with Shay Clear here.