Cobbled Footpath, In front of 9/11 The Square, Comber, Co.Down

This is a decorative cobbled footpath of probable mid-19th century origin, located on the west side of the Square in front of numbers 9 and 11 The Square, Comber. It is a folly, currently serving as a decorative feature. The footpath depicts a hunting scene constructed from grey and white pebbles, varying in size from approximately 50 to 100mm. The grey pebbles are likely greywacke stone, while the smaller white pebbles, used to form the scene's detail, may be limestone or flint. These stones appear to have been well rounded, possibly collected from a riverbed or beach. The scene portrays a greyhound in the center, pursuing a hare to the stage right, observed by a trainer to the stage left. The trainer wears a frock coat with tails, carries a walking stick, and gestures with one arm. A large horseshoe sits to the left of the trainer. The entire scene is outlined by a zigzag line, centered with the inscription 'MILLER ESQR'.

John Miller (1796-1883), a part owner of the Comber Distillery, resided at ‘Aureen’, numbers 9-11 The Square, between 1825 and 1871; the footpath's inscription suggests it may have been constructed by or for him. Local lore connects the scene to Master Mc Gra, a greyhound belonging to Lord Lurgan (Brownlow family), a Waterloo Cup winner in 1869, 1871, and 1872, however there is no evidence to support this.

According to local historian Norman Nevin (circa 1980), the footpath was once exceptionally smooth and cleaned weekly. Until 1992, it was privately owned; afterward, it was adopted by the Department of the Environment. The footpath was subsequently lifted and re-laid by Environment and Heritage, a process that reportedly reduced its smoothness and ease of use.