The Irish estate which turned millers into aristocrats, on the market for the first time since 1820
Vast estate in Carlow's horse country comes on sale for the first time in over 200 years.


Milford House, set in 50 acres of wooded parkland at Milford, is a timeless Georgian which has been in the same family since it was built in 1820 by a family of millers who became successful businessmen.
This beautiful spot on the banks of the River Barrow, five miles south of Carlow town, is on the market via Jordan Auctioneers in Newbridge, Co Kildare, and Knight Frank in Dublin and London, who quote a guide price of €1.375 million.
Home to successive generations of the Alexander family – millers and entrepreneurs who built the house – its sale follows the death last year of John ‘Black Jack’ Alexander, at the ripe old age of 89.
The Alexander connection with Milford dates from the late 1780s, when John Alexander – from a Northern Irish family of Scottish extraction whose members included the Cable-Alexander baronets – bought land in Ballygowan and the surrounding area and teamed up with local miller, John Connolly, to build a flour mill on an eight-acre site alongside the river.
He later bought Connolly out and further developed the mill, which, by the mid 19th century, was the largest flour mill in Ireland.
Despite the abolition of the Corn Laws in 1846, which dented the profitability of the enterprise, and a major fire in 1862, the site remained the focus of local employment into the 20th century.
In 1891, the mill was modified to generate electricity, making Carlow the first inland town in Ireland or Britain to receive electric power. The hydro-electric plant, which was refurbished in the 1980s and currently feeds into the National Grid, is also available should a new purchaser be interested.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Although now in need of refurbishment, following a partial remodelling in 1955, when the parapeted roof was added and some chimneypieces replaced, Milford House retains some splendid plasterwork and fireplaces.
It offers 10,946sq ft of accommodation on two main floors, with further rooms for improvement on the lower-ground floor.
The main ground-floor reception rooms are light and beautifully proportioned, the drawing room interlinking with both the library and the dining room to create an impressive entertaining space. A large master-bedroom suite, four further bedrooms and three further bathrooms are located on the first floor.
With leading racehorse trainers Jessica Harrington and Willie Mullins as near neighbours, this part of Carlow is horse country par excellence.
Although only 50 acres of lush parkland remain of what was once a 2,000-acre Alexander family estate, there is plenty to tempt a buyer with equestrian interests in the original stud complex, which has independent access and includes a stud groom’s house, hay barns and 25 boxes in two yards.
Credit: Knight Frank
50 spectacular homes for sale, as seen in Country Life
A superb 16th century Cotswolds manor with a very 21st century party barn
The Old Rectory is a quintessential Cotswolds house dating back to the 16th century – with a very 21st-century attraction that's
Credit: Galbraith
The untouched 'Island of Goats', a short boat ride from the Argyll coast, is looking for a new owner
Rich with areas of ancient woodland and extensive wildlife, this stunning island off Argyll’s secret coast provides the opportunity to
-
A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park
Old House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
The UK gets its first ‘European stork village’ — and it's in West Sussex
Although the mortality rate among white storks can be up to 90%, the future looks rosy for breeding pairs in southern England.
By Rosie Paterson Published
-
A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park
Old House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country Life
From a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
By Toby Keel Published
-
If heaven is on earth, it might be in this home with a converted chapel that is now a swimming pool
5 Wood Barton Town House is part of an exclusive 80-acre development in Devon that also comes with fishing rights on the River Avon and four bedrooms.
By James Fisher Published
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in Dorset
With 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
By James Fisher Published
-
An eight-bedroom wonder in East Sussex where the outdoors are an adventure
The interiors of Old Middleton are pretty good too.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A lakeside farmhouse on the market in the beautiful heart of Pembrokeshire
A lake, streams, 15 acres and five bedrooms. Rogershook might have it all.
By James Fisher Published
-
An idyllic countryside home that's light, spacious and comes with a Grade II-listed folly
Hagg House is a gorgeous family home that just happens to have a miniature castle in the gardens. Annabel Dixon explains more.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A historic villa for sale on the Via Nomentana worthy of Rome's rich history
Three floors, lots of balconies, and a private garden in one of Rome's loveliest neighbourhoods.
By James Fisher Published