Manor Kilbride, County Wicklow, Ireland



Manor Kilbride is the film location for Netflix's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, based on the novel by Shirley Jackson. And, proving timing is everything, it's now on the market for $2.9 million.


Briefly, the movie tells the story of 2 isolated sisters, Constance and Mary Katherine (aka Merricat) Blackwood, who live in a grand manor house. A past tragedy in the house comes to the fore after Cousin Charles arrives for a visit.



To enter the property, you cross a wooden bridge over the Brittas River.


Very little of the house was changed for the movie. After all, "We rarely moved things. We always put things back where they belonged."

Here is the foyer, in real life and in the movie:


The staircase is illuminated by a cupola:


Almost gave you a spoiler with my screen grab. 😀

The dining room and drawing room both open to the foyer.


"A picture of this room would have commanded a large price from any of the newspapers."


The drawing room features 14 hand painted murals (including a castle) by artist Edwin Hayes.


"There were two tall windows in the drawing room... Constance stood on a stepladder to wash the tops of the windows and we dusted the Dresden figurines on the mantel..."


The movie focuses less on murals and figurines and more on suspicion and brooding:



The kitchen is the main difference between the movie and the actual house. Here is the cozy real kitchen:


Compare it to the very atmospheric movie kitchen:


Manor Kilbride has 6 bedrooms and 4 of them are available for overnight stays. First is the S Room, which overlooks the courtyard:


This was used as Constance's bedroom:


Pay no attention to that snow globe. It won't be relevant later.

 Next is the M Room, with views of Sorrell Hill and Mullacleevaughan Mountain.


Wonder if the M Room stands for Merricat? Probably not, but it's her room in the movie:



 Third is the Blue Room, which may have inspired/been used for Father/Cousin Charles' room...


...although I noticed in the movie that there was a V on the door, so this is probably the (unpictured) V Room instead:


Don't want to forget to mention this family room...


...which is also featured in the movie:


Again, pay no attention to the safe. When is a locked safe ever important in a movie?

So which room would I make over, if it were mine? This sitting room:


I'd make it look a little more 'to the manor born.'


This is Clarence House, currently one of Prince Charles' residences, and I figured few people know manor manners better than Prince Charles.

Manor Kilbride is a 7,000 square feet house built in 1835, replacing an older home on the property. It has served as a film and wedding venue and a Country House stay. It's on 14 acres, with its own private lake, stables, walled garden, and orchard near Wicklow Mountains National Park, and it's less than 30 kilometers to Dublin's city center.

The walled garden and orchards include daffodils, bluebells, and 100 year old rhododendrons, as well as Scotch pine, Spanish chestnut, and black poplar trees.


"...and the leaves moved overhead and it would always be the same."

The listing is here.
























BISHAM MANOR, LAGRANGE

The Haunting of Hill House 

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