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, caf?s, 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.
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