The Ford, 14 Ballydrain Road Comber , BT23 5SR

Additional Information

‘The Ford’ is a much admired period house and yard with around six acres of beautiful mature gardens and paddocks on the shores of Strangford Lough, just one mile from Comber.

With its attractive bay windows, front porch, traditional wooden conservatory and arched yard doors, it is a striking property from the front but it is what lies behind in terms of yard, grounds and the interior of the house that really defines this fabulous country home.

The House

The house was built in late Victorian times and is full of features from the period with intricate cornice work, ceiling roses and panelled bay windows which add character to the well proportioned rooms.  There are three principal receptions rooms with a traditional wooden conservatory leading off the sitting room and a good sized kitchen complete with utility room, pantry and sun room with dining alcove.

Upstairs there are four main bedrooms, two of which face the front with bay windows, dressing room, family bathroom and office suite with shower room and separate wc and two offices.  This office area would lend itself to further bedroom accommodation, play room or ideal space for working from home.

Yard

The enclosed courtyard is a significant feature of this fine small holding with its original two storey buildings housing stables, tack room (with Victorian wrought iron stalls) and a building which was formerly separate living accommodation with living room, kitchen/dining, two bedrooms, cloakroom and bathroom.  The magnificent entrance to the yard through the tall arched doors is not currently in use but could easily be re-instated.

Gardens

A stone and brick archway leads to the extensive garden, with a magnificent mature Beech tree as the centrepiece. It is a beautiful traditional garden in lawn, shrub beds, pathways, paved terrace and trees, enclosed by a Beech hedge.  There is an arch in the hedge leading to the paddocks.

Grounds

The grounds, including yard, gardens and three fields total around six acres and extend down to the edge of Strangford Lough at the entrance of the Comber River.

Location

The Ford is located on the road to WWT Castle Espie, half a mile from Comber and just over ten miles from Belfast.  Popular local restaurants are in abundance including The Old Schoolhouse Inn, Ballydrain and there is a choice of good primary and secondary schools in Comber, Newtownards and Belfast.

Ground floor

Glazed entrance porch

Entrance hall

Storage cupboard under stairs, panelled alcove, cornice and ceiling rose

Drawing room

5.51m x 4.72m (18' 1" x 15' 6")
Adam-style fireplace with basket grate and marble inset, intricate cornice and ceiling rose, bay window

Sitting room

5.49m x 3.61m (18' 0" x 11' 10")
Fireplace with tiled inset and wooden surround, intricate cornice and ceiling rose, bay window

Conservatory

4.45m x 2.77m (14' 7" x 9' 1")
Traditional timber-framed double glazed conservatory with tiled floor

Dining room

4.57m x 4.01m (15' 0" x 13' 2")
Slate fireplace with tiled inset, glazed cupboards either side of chimney breast, polished wooden floor, French window

Kitchen

7.04m x 4.6m (23' 1" x 15' 1")
Range of high and low level units in solid Oak, oil fired Aga with double oven, integrated electric oven, plumbing for dishwasher and quarry tiled floor

Sun room/ dining

4.19m x 4.09m (13' 9" x 13' 5")
Open to kitchen and overlooking garden with window seating and quarry tiled floor. Space for dining table

Utility room

4.34m x 1.96m (14' 3" x 6' 5")
Pantry and plumbing for washing machine

Rear hall/ W.C.

Cloakroom with W.C. and wash-hand basin, and quarry tiled floor

First floor

Landing

Cornice and ceiling rose

Master bedroom

5.44m x 3.96m (17' 10" x 13' 0")
Cornice and ceiling rose, bay window

Dressing room

2.74m x 1.96m (9' 0" x 6' 5")
Built-in wardrobes

Bathroom

3.1m x 1.96m (10' 2" x 6' 5")
White suite with shower over bath, shower screen and wash-hand basin in vanity unit, W.C.

Bedroom 2

5.33m x 4.8m (17' 6" x 15' 9")
Cornice and ceiling rose, bay window

Bedroom 3

4.57m x 4.22m (15' 0" x 13' 10")
Built-in cupboard

Bedroom 4

4.57m x 2.69m (15' 0" x 8' 10")

Shower room

Office suite

5.41m x 3.96m (17' 9" x 13' 0")
Main office 13' 3" x 11' 1".

Outside

Garden

Paved front garden with roses. Tarmac parking area to rear of house with brick paved edges and attractive brick arch to garden. Fabulous mature rear garden with gravel paths, enclosed by Beech hedge and stone wall. Mature Beech and Horse Chestnut trees, shrub beds and sandstone paved terrace. Archway through Beech hedge to paddock. Double wooden gates to yard.

Yard

Tarmac yard with brick paved edges, boiler house with oil fired central heating boiler, and outside W. C. four stables. Store/ workshop with loft over. Tack room/ feed store.

Outbuilding

Formerly used as separate living accommodation with kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Car parking

Area of hard-standing for parking, wooded area and path leading to paddock.