Woodbrook House

The long sweeping drive, the Georgian house protected by massive old hardwoods, tucked under the snowcapped mountain, the pillared entrance flanked by two marble lions… so far, so Anglo-Irish. The hall, lit by two-storey windows and with a Mediterranean-toned frieze, suggests a warmer clime. Giles and Alexandra are no strangers to the wider world; she is half-Italian, he capped a diplomatic career as British ambassador to Venezuela. They toured Italy and India before starting the restoration work on their intriguing, 1770s, somewhat ramshackle house which has Ireland’s only ‘flying staircase’ – it quivers as you climb. Lions from Florence and painted furniture from Rajasthan came home with them; bedrooms are big, family-friendly, unposh; some have balconies for long parkland views. Giles, well-travelled and well-read, has strong convictions, a wry humour and is a leading Irish Green, having hosted the annual Irish Green Gathering at Woodbrook; there are literary weekends here too. Alexandra and their four children lend youth and vitality to this memorable family home.