By Rebecca McGirr
Take a look inside this outstanding, fully renovated, eight bedroom period property in the heart of the Fermanagh countryside, once visited by the famous author C.S Lewis as a child.
The property is on the market for £1,450,000 and is steeped in an interesting history.
Built in 1829 by reverend Hamilton as the rectory for the Inishmacsaint Church, with many of its original features still in tact including its stone structure coming from the old Church of Church Hill, and with plaques of historic interest built into its walls the substantial 3 story over basement stone residence was recently taken back to its stone structure and completely renovated to allow it to retain all of its period charm and features.
In the mid 1800s, the sisters of Dean Tottenham’s wife started a lace school at Benmore House and established Inishmacsaint needle lace, which was highly prized and given to royalty as gifts.
In the early 1900s, the author C.S Lewis was known to have visited his grandfather, the rector at that time for holidays.
Since the 1940s the property has been privately owned by a succession of different families, but was standing derelict for several years at the turn of the millennium, until the current owners purchased and completely restored the property to its former glory.
Marketed by local estate agents Montgomery Finlay & Co, Benmore House they said, “Benmore House is a beautiful and extensive Georgian property , sitting centrally in its substantial mature and private grounds of circa 12 acres.
With a mixture of woodland, gardens and paddocks, this secluded property is a rare example of period beauty.”
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