'Eusemere', 22 Killinchy Road, Comber, Bt23 5 Lu

Eusemere is a dressed sandstone, Grade B listed, Edwardian house built around 1909, set well back from the Killinchy Road behind a wide forecourt framed by mature trees, clipped hedging and loose decorative stone. The house is substantial, three storeys including top-floor rooms under the roofline, with twin chimneys, a steep slate roof and an arched stone entrance portico with its original leaded lantern still in place. The rear gardens are amazing, multiple sections of striped lawn enclosed by old stone walls, topiary island beds, a walled enclosure with a decorative roundel set into the boundary wall and specimen trees of considerable age and scale further enhanced by a detached garage. From the upper floors, the view stretches beyond the garden and rooftops of Comber to the water of Strangford Lough on the horizon.
Inside, a remarkable amount of the original fabric survives. The inner hall sets the tone, dark oak panelling from floor to picture rail, herringbone parquet, a crystal chandelier and a staircase with turned balusters rising to a full-height diamond leaded stained glass window of three bays with a central arched foliate light, all original to the house. The brass door knobs throughout are also original. The accommodation runs to two large reception rooms, each with its own period fireplace, one a white marble Adam-style surround with swag and garland detailing, the other a richly carved mahogany surround with fluting and patera roundels, plus a solid oak kitchen with dark granite worktops, coffered ceiling and french doors to the rear garden, a utility room with its own vaulted ceiling, six bedrooms spread across the first and second floors, and three bathrooms. One of the bedrooms retain the original parquet flooring; the top-floor rooms have vaulted ceilings and Velux rooflights, and there is a characterful pine-clad bathroom at that level.
Eusemere has a well-documented history, it was the long-term home of Sir James Andrews, 1st Baronet, who served as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland from 1937 until his death in 1951, and the house was built around 1909 by Captain George James Bruce DSO MC, the largest shareholder in the Comber Distilleries Company. That history feels present in the building rather than merely attached to it. The house sits within easy reach of Comber town centre, with local schools, shops and transport links close by, and Strangford Lough, visible from the upper windows, just a few minutes away.