A 1970s Bullock Harbour bolthole behind electric gates in Dalkey has communal gardens looking out to sea
Bullock Harbour, the little granite-walled inlet between Sandycove and Dalkey, has been sheltering fishing boats since medieval times. These days it’s more likely to be sheltering sea swimmers, kayakers and the odd seal loitering in the hope of scraps and humans can even blag the occasional crab or lobster.
Pilot View Lodge is a detached bungalow in the Pilot View apartment development on Harbour Road, and it’s for sale for €550,000.
Address: Pilot View Lodge, Harbour Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin, A96 W328
Asking price: €550,000
Agent: DNG
At 54sq m, this is not a house for anyone with a large collection of sideboards. But if you’re downsizing or going solo, it might be just the right size.
Electric gates protect a private parking space.
There are planted beds on either side of the side-entrance door.
A small hall with a coat cupboard leads into the living room, which looks out to the front.
Off this is a kitchenette with an electric oven and an under-counter fridge-freezer.
It’s more galley than gourmand, but there’s a window over the rear patio to look out of while the kettle boils.
Behind the living room is a second room under a pitched roof, lined with fitted bookshelves. This is currently used as a study but could probably work as a guest bedroom.
To the right of the hall is the main bedroom with fitted wardrobes and an ensuite with a shower, vanity unit and an illuminated mirror.
A Stira allows access to the attic that runs the full length of the house and presumably could be developed, subject to planning permission.
The property was built in 1975 and upgraded around 2005. It has an E1 energy rating, which is something you may want to address if you plan on spending your winters here.
A new heating system with a gas combi boiler went in in 2020, which is a start.
The rear patio is paved and surrounded by a high granite wall and fencing, with a shed for the bikes and the wetsuits.
The real outdoor space, though, is the landscaped communal garden which has uninterrupted views of the sea. Residents regularly organise social events there, so bring a bottle.
Dalkey, Sandycove and Glasthule and their boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants are a 10- to 12-minute walk away, as is the famous Forty Foot.
There are DART stations at both Dalkey and Sandycove, and the coastal walks along Coliemore Road and Vico Road, as well as Killiney Hill.
The harbour is overlooked by Bullock Castle, a fortified tower house built by the Cistercian monks of St Mary’s Abbey in Dublin, who controlled the fishing here in the Middle Ages.
The monks are said to have levied a toll on the boats landing their catch, which suggests that even then, a place by the harbour in Dalkey never came cheap.
DNG Dun Laoghaire is seeking offers of around €550,000.
