I didn’t have any difficulty finding Aghade Lodge, Tullow, Co Carlow, last week. Situated off the main Tullow/Bunclody road, the property is approached over the noted Aghade bridge after which an immediate left will bring you through an attractive stone entrance that meanders under a canopy of trees before revealing the eye-catching Aghade Lodge. There I met owner David Richardson and his son Mark.

Once described as a gentleman’s estate, Aghade has a distinguished history. Master of the Carlow Hunt, Mrs Olive Hall, was the only daughter of former owners Sir Standish and Lady O’Grady-Roche. Two of her greatest passions – hunting and fishing – brought her into close contact with some of Britain’s elite families during the early 20th century, including the Royal family, many of whom spent time on the Co Carlow demesne. Today, Aghade has all the hallmarks of a gentleman’s estate with its walled garden, kitchen garden, the courtyard, the former tennis court and the former croquet pitch, all set on the scenic banks of the Slaney river.

The present owners bought Aghade Lodge in 1975 from the Browne family and today are offering the residence and courtyard for sale on a range of land sizes, subject to interest. Aghade Lodge can be bought on 8.8 acres, circa 40 acres or the entire (including farmyard) on circa 200 acres. The fine house, the beautiful manicured grounds and the 1.4 miles of scenic river frontage is likely to appeal to international buyers, in particular the UK and US. How much land they require will be entirely up to them. The house on 8.8 acres is guided at €925,000; the house on circa 40 acres with extensive river frontage has a guide of €1.2m while the entire has an asking price in the region of €3.7m.

Built in the late 19th century, Aghade Lodge is a 5,500 square feet two-storey Victorian house, perched on a poised site overlooking the Slaney river. Bright, spacious and found in excellent order, many of the rooms within the house benefit from extensive riverside views.

Down through the years, the owners made a number of improvements. The house was completely re-roofed and re-plumbed in 2000 and a new condensing boiler was installed complete with multi-zone central heating options. Double-glazed windows were fitted upstairs, a new country-style kitchen was installed and the attic was layered with 12-inch insulation. Features throughout the house include decorative ceiling cornices, polished timber floors, panelled doors, bow windows, timber shutters, and clay tiled flooring.

Downstairs there are two fabulous reception rooms, library, cloak room, a cosy family room with stove, kitchen with AGA range, laundry room, and pantry. Upstairs caters for six generous bedrooms, two bathrooms, two shower rooms and a linen room.

Adjoining the house is an attractive courtyard that features three apartments (two and three bedrooms) and a bedsit which have been let out over the years, generating a good rental income. There are also a range of stone coach houses, arches and store houses.

With its own entrance, the main farmyard has an extensive range of buildings that include three slatted sheds, a five-bay straw shed with double lean-tos, a two-bay meal shed with a 25-tonne grain bin and a loose-bedded shed. There is also a sheep shed, two silage pits, a silage slab, cattle crush and handling pens.

Set out in one big 200-acre block, the land is currently home to a suckler, sheep and cereal enterprise. Around 70 acres are currently in winter cereals with the remaining circa 130 acres in grass. The Richardson’s grow a number of cereals for seed production and use the grazing area as a rotational platform for their cereal enterprise. I got a comprehensive tour of the farm last week which has fantastic frontage to both the River Slaney and its tributary, the Derreen river. It was picture-perfect to see the suckler herd chewing the cud, grazing along the banks, listening to the hustling sound of the river Slaney.

A farm roadway provides access to a lot of the land. One side of the farm is reminiscent of the west of Ireland with its eye-catching granite walls, iconic Carlow dolmen flagstones and circular moate. The rest of the farm is set out in good-sized divisions, some flat and some gently undulating. In all, about 150 acres are tillable. Water is supplied to the land from a private well while mains water supplies the house.

Aghade is certainly one of the biggest and most scenic properties to arrive on the market in Co Carlow in recent years and should make for a very interesting sale. Joint agents David Ashmore from Ireland Sotheby’s International Realty, Dublin, and REA Dawson Auctioneers, Tullow, are handling the sale by private treaty.