Woodside Cottage, Tollymore Forest, 180 Tullybrannigan Road

Historic forest cottage dating from 1919

Substantially modernised

Four well-proportioned bedrooms

Ground-floor bedroom with en suite shower room

Exceptionally spacious open-plan living accommodation

Contemporary kitchen with integrated appliances and Quooker tap

Solid oak flooring throughout the principal ground-floor rooms

Multifuel stove with back boiler, slate hearth and handmade pitch-pine mantel

Bespoke fitted shelving and integrated home workstation

Picture windows and double doors connecting the house with the garden

Double-glazed windows

Oil-fired central heating

Underfloor heating within selected bathroom areas

Extensive built-in storage throughout

Approximately one acre of mature private gardens

Stream, waterfall and four garden bridges

Purpose-built barbecue house

Bespoke children's climbing frame

The Conker Club: a fully equipped, larch-clad garden room

Carrport and fuel store

Garage Block including:

• Room 1 - 4.8m x 6.4m (Roller Door)

• Room 2 - 4.8m x 3.1m (Roller Door)

Some homes sit within a landscape. Woodside Cottage feels woven into it.

Built in 1919, Woodside Cottage predates the establishment of Tollymore as Northern Ireland’s first state forest park. Its history is inseparable from the woodland around it, offering the rare opportunity to live within one of Northern Ireland’s most treasured landscapes.

The cottage has been home to its present owners for approximately 25 years. During that time, it has been thoughtfully modernised and adapted into a warm, comfortable family home, while preserving the atmosphere and character of a traditional forest cottage. Four generous bedrooms are complemented by expansive, open-plan living accommodation, with the principal rooms opening naturally towards the gardens.

It is beyond the house, however, that Woodside Cottage reveals its true character. Approximately one acre of mature, tree-lined gardens unfolds around the cottage, with a private stream winding beneath four individual bridges and over a small waterfall. Copper beech, Eucryphia, Japanese maples, Himalayan rhododendrons, magnolias, copper hazel, rowan and silver birch bring colour, texture and changing interest throughout the seasons. The gardens are also a haven for wildlife, with regular visits from red squirrels, deer and a host of woodland birds.

Beneath a mature horse chestnut tree sits “The Conker Club”, the affectionate name given to it by the current family: a bespoke, larch-clad garden room originally built in 1953 and rebuilt in 2023 from what was once the head quarters building of Tollymore Forest Park. With its wood-burning stove, underfloor heating, Wi-Fi, en suite facilities and feature wall formed from reclaimed Tollymore oak which was part of the external cladding of the original building - The Conker Club is an exceptionally special space for working, entertaining or simply retreating into the garden.

Beyond Woodside Cottage’s boundary lies the wider landscape of Tollymore: the Shimna River, ancient woodland, historic stone bridges and miles of forest trails, all beneath the Mourne Mountains and within easy reach of Newcastle and the sea. It is a setting recognised around the world through productions including Game of Thrones, Dracula Untold, Your Highness and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.

The nearby seaside town of Newcastle provides an appealing everyday setting, with its promenade, cafés, restaurants, independent shops and year-round coastal atmosphere. The town is also home to the world-renowned Royal County Down Golf Club, while Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland’s highest mountain, rises directly behind it, offering an exceptional range of walking, climbing and outdoor pursuits. The wider area is well served by respected primary and secondary schools, making it particularly attractive for family life, while Belfast, Newry and Dublin are all accessible by road for work, culture, shopping and travel. Belfast International Airport, George Best Belfast City Airport and Dublin Airport provide convenient connections further afield.

For visitors, Tollymore is somewhere to explore. At Woodside Cottage, it becomes part of everyday life: a place where children can grow up with the forest as their playground, where each season transforms the view, and where the garden seems to lead naturally into the woodland beyond. There is simply nowhere else quite like it.

GROUND FLOOR

Entrance Hall

1.68m × 2.60m
Welcoming entrance porch retaining its original ceramic tiled floor and opening into the principal living accommodation.

Living Room

4.75m × 7.78m
An exceptionally spacious, open-plan living room arranged to provide several distinct areas for relaxing, working and entertaining. Solid oak flooring; multifuel stove incorporating a back boiler, set upon a slate hearth with handmade pitch-pine mantel; extensive fitted shelving; integrated workstation; recessed lighting; and double doors opening directly onto the patio and garden.

Kitchen/ Dining

5.53m × 3.45m
Contemporary kitchen finished with deep rouge matt cabinetry and a comprehensive range of high- and low-level units. Integrated fridge, microwave, double oven and dishwasher; induction hob with extractor; one-and-a-half-bowl sink; Quooker boiling-water tap; solid oak flooring; recessed lighting; large picture window overlooking the gardens; and double doors opening onto the patio.

Pantry

Complementary high- and low-level storage; under-counter freezer; wine rack; and cloaks cupboard.

Guest WC

Attractively finished with tongue-and-groove wall panelling, wall mounted vanity unit, WC and wood-effect tiled floor.

Bedroom One

4.85m × 3.63m max
Generous ground-floor double bedroom enjoying a northerly aspect to the front of the house. Solid oak flooring and an extensive range of built-in wardrobes.

En Suite

2.57m × 0.90m
Contemporary suite comprising power shower, wall-hung washbasin and WC. Mosaic wall tiling and wood-effect tiled floor incorporating underfloor heating.

Laundry Room

1.82m × 3.25m
Practical service room providing space and connections for a washing machine and tumble dryer, together with space for an additional refrigerator.

Boiler Room

Location of the Oil Fired Boiler

FIRST FLOOR

Via stairwell

Landing

Central landing with access to the hot press and first-floor accommodation.

Bedroom Two

3.03m × 3.60m
North-facing double bedroom overlooking the front of the house. Carpeted flooring and built-in wardrobes.

Ensuite WC

Separate WC with washbasin and useful built-in storage.

Shower Room

2.32m × 2.30m
Contemporary shower room with ceramic wall and floor tiling; walk-in glazed shower enclosure with dual-head shower system; integrated washbasin furniture; heated towel rail; and underfloor heating.

Bedroom Three

2.43m × 3.63m
Carpeted bedroom overlooking the rear garden and adjoining forest.

Bedroom Four

3.02m × 3.45m
A particularly charming children’s bedroom incorporating bespoke built-in raised cabin bed, integrated desk, reading nook, fitted lighting and built-in wardrobes.

THE CONKER CLUB

Positioned beneath the spreading branches of a mature horse chestnut tree, the Conker Club is a distinctive and beautifully executed garden retreat. Originally, the head quarters building for Tollymore Forest Park, the building was comprehensively rebuilt in 2023 and finished with larch cladding both internally and externally. Aluminium-framed windows draw the garden into the room, while a wood-burning stove, underfloor heating and Wi-Fi make it comfortable throughout the year. A feature wall formed from reclaimed Tollymore oak continues the property’s connection with the forest, while the en suite facilities include polished tiling and a bespoke washbasin shelf crafted from sweet chestnut grown within the garden. Part garden room, part studio and part woodland retreat, it is a space with multiple uses or somewhere to gather at the end of the day.

AN EXTRAORDINARY GARDEN

Approximately one acre of mature, tree-lined grounds surrounds Woodside Cottage, creating a private garden of remarkable variety and character. - Stream meandering through the grounds - Four individual garden bridges - Picturesque waterfall - Mature specimen trees and carefully established planting - Strong colour and interest throughout the changing seasons - Purpose-built covered barbecue house - Bespoke children’s climbing frame - Patios and sheltered areas for outdoor entertaining - Garage block with individual vehicle doors - Electricity and external water supply to the garage building - Recent larch cladding to the garage exterior - Carport and separate fuel store - Planning permission to repurpose the garage building as a gym, subject to confirmation - Immediate access to the surrounding walks and landscape of Tollymore Forest Park - Extensive external lighting - Monitored alarm and CCTV system All garden furniture and ornamentalia excluded from the sale