Uppercourt Manor, Freshford, Co Kilkenny, has been sold. Standing on circa 36 acres, this sprawling manor came to the market with an extensive three-storey over Georgian basement residence, a restored church, a disused dormitory, courtyard, guest lodge, staff house and a range of equestrian facilities.

Uppercourt attracted a mix of domestic and UK-based interest over the past couple of months and was offered for sale by auction through selling agent Ganly Walters, Dublin, last week.

It’s understood that the property was withdrawn at auction at €960,000 but successfully sold afterwards in a private deal for an undisclosed higher figure. The buyer is believed to be a lady from Dublin who owns a large collection of rare bees. It’s understood she intends to use Uppercourt Manor as a private residence and develop the walled garden into a purpose-built apiary for her bee collection. The underbidder was a customer from the UK.

Uppercourt Manor was used as a private residence for many centuries before being bought by the Eyre family in 1879 who gave the property its ornate oratory.

In 1932, it became a secondary school for many years before being sold again in 1989 and used for storage of antique furniture. The current owner bought Uppercourt Manor about 11 years ago and went about undertaking an extensive restoration project.

Today, the restoration work at Uppermill Manor is presented in pristine condition but further work is required.

The basement and ground floor have almost fully been restored while the upper two floors require further renovation. The house features full-length windows that extend right down to the floor, vaulted ceilings, original plasterwork and arches, period fireplaces and wooden and parquet floors. New wiring and plumbing has also been installed.

Extending to 27,878 square feet, accommodation includes seven bright, spacious reception rooms on the ground floor, with a kitchen, two reception rooms, wine cellar, wet room, two bedrooms and laundry in the basement. There are a further six rooms in the basement that require restoration.

The first floor features a large master bedrooms with ensuite and a further nine bedrooms, four ensuites and two bathrooms that require further restoration. The second floor has eight bedrooms and three bathrooms, all of which are disused and require work.

Built in 1944, the church at Uppercourt has been completely restored and features a large open plan space with cut-stone arches along with a small bar, kitchen and two bathrooms. Next to the church is a 14-bay two-storey dormitory which closed in 1984 and is now disused.

Outside, there is a lovely 13th century cut-stone lofted courtyard, a two-bedroom guest cabin and a three-bedroom staff house that has been recently renovated. There are also a total of 22 stables, a six-bay horse walker, and an all-weather arena.

Uppercourt Manor is surrounded by fabulous mature gardens, sweeping lawns and a walled garden that contains 64 apple trees. The property was guided in the region of €995,000 prior to auction. CL