YOURS FOR £1.25m
COMBER HOME OF FORMER NI PRIME MINISTER FOR SALE
THE ancestral home of one of the best known families in the history of Northern Ireland has gone on the market for a cool £1.25m.
Maxwell Court in Comber was once home to Northern Ireland’s second Prime Minister John Andrews who took up office in 1940 and whose brother Thomas was the chief designer of the Titanic.
It has been described by estate agent Simon Brien Residential as “one of North Down’s most important private historic residences”.
The agent said: “Maxwell Court is probably one of the last period properties and historic residences to be still standing”.
He indicated that despite the hefty price tag, there has been a “fair amount of interest” since it went on the market in August and although there have been offers, these have been withdrawn, and the manor house remains for sale.
“Certainly, there was initial good interest,” he added. “It has been in the Andrews family for a long period of time.”
The 10-bedroom detached mansion dates back to 1700. It was built originally for the Cairns family, who had a working corn mill in the grounds.
Victorian in appearance, Maxwell Court retains many architectural details, including fireplaces and wood panelling. It comes complete with a formal drawing room, morning room and “school room”, and an Edwardian greenhouse with two grapevines.
It sits in an estate which encompasses five acres, including two acres of landscaped gardens, including summer house, greenhouse, orchard and vegetable garden, plus additional lands in a paddock and front field.
Meanwhile, another stately pile remains for sale after more than a year.
Castle Upton in Templepatrick, Co Antrim, owned by former UUP MP Danny Kinahan, has a price tag of £1.35m. Castle Upton is a historic grade one listed home set in ground of 21 acres and is described as “a castle in a rural setting” complete with two gate lodges and fortified gates.
It was purchased in 1963 by Danny’s parents Sir Robin Kinahan and mother Caralie de Burgh. Danny is a cousin of singer Chris de Burgh.
His late mother is largely credited with restoring the castle, a seven-bedroom residence, to its former glory.
Mr Kinahan has said: “I would like everyone who aspires to it to have a big house. Over the years, we have opened the house to the public and held all sorts of community events in it and enjoyed sharing it with people.”
He indicated that the sale of Castle Upton has attracted a “large number of viewers”.
“There has been interest in it and it has been to the point of sale three times,” he noted.
Interest has come from within Northern Ireland and further afield.