Castlehaven House, Castletownsend, Co Cork
Bence-Jones, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
p. 70. “(Becher/IFR) A house built 1826 as a Rectory. Main block of two storeys and four bays, extended by a slighly lower range also of two storeys and four bays. Porch with fanlighted doorway at end of house. Many improvements carried out by Brig F. R. Becher, who bought the house ca 1947 and sold it 1972.”
Detached two-bay two-storey over basement former rectory, built c.1810, having four-bay side elevations, flat roofed porch addition to entrance (north) and five-bay two-storey wing addition to south. Now in use as private house. Hipped slate, asphalt and copper alloy roofs with rendered chimneystack, timber eaves course and cast-iron and uPVC rainwater goods. Roughcast and smooth rendered walls having plinth, with platband and concrete moulding to porch. Square-headed and round-headed openings with six-over-six timber sliding sash and fixed pane windows with concrete sills, raised rendered surrounds and internal shutters. Round-headed door opening with timber panelled door having fluted panels, spoked fanlight and raised rendered surround. Located in extensive landscaped grounds with dry stone boundary walls. Entrance comprising roughcast rendered walls, cut block sandstone piers, capstones and wrought-iron gates.
Set on an elevated site overlooking the sea, this former rectory is a notable addition to the local architectural heritage. It is curious for its deceptively small scale entrance front, which hides a surprisingly substantial house. The asymmetrical entrance is also unusual, as typically rectories and other middle sized houses of this date would adhere to the classical rules of regular proportion.
Irish Historic Houses 