A fine 166ac grassland farm has come on the market in north Co Westmeath and will be auctioned at the end of this month.

The farm and the period house on it are well known. The farm is in the townland of Newcastle. The imposing residence is Newcastle House.

The sale is being handled by auctioneers Raymond Potterton.

The 166ac is in one block and laid out in six main divisions. There is over 600m of road frontage.

The location is 7km north of Castlepollard. It’s 15km to Granard, 17km to Edgeworthstown and 23km to Mullingar.

This is a cattle-fattening part of the country. The farm for sale is good land with productive soils. The 166ac is in one block and divided into six main fields. The farm benefits from a good drainage system and fronts the River Glore providing a year-round water supply. There is over 600m of road frontage.

Georgian residence

The four-bedroom house is described by the auctioneers as Georgian villa-style. It is single storey over a basement. It has been empty for about two years and, according to the agents, is solid, dry and ready for redecoration or refurbishment.

The land at Newcastle is fertile and productive and in permanent pasture.

The house is recorded as being built around the year 1830. It is set back from the public road and accessed by a 500m tarmac driveway, alongside which are mature trees in parkland style. The driveway also passes by a Norman Tower House which dates back to around 1500.

The house has a tarmac parking area to the front and sits among mature trees and shrubs.

The house is relatively spacious at about 2,800sq ft in area. On the first floor are reception rooms and two bedrooms. On the ground floor is the dining room, kitchen, a home office and two bedrooms.

This is an extremely fertile farm

The house has many period features. It has a single, central chimney stack. The front door is approached by limestone steps with decorative wrought-iron railings on each side.

“This is an extremely fertile farm with scale and potential,” auctioneer Stephan Barry says. “With some investment the lands are suitable for any agricultural use.”

Auction and lots

The farm goes for auction on Thursday 30 September at 3pm and it will be offered in lots.

  • Lot 1 will be the house and yard on 22ac. The guide price for this lot is €250,000.
  • Lot 2 will be the balance of 144ac. The guide price for this lot is €950,000.

    • The guide price for the entire is €1.2m. This is an executor sale. Pre-registration is required by 27 September.