Gate screen, [40] Hillsborough Road, Ballybeen, Comber, Co. Down, BT23 5PW

This is a mid-19th century gate screen, located on the south side of Hillsborough Road, approximately 2.5 miles west of Comber, County Down. It originally served as the entrance to the now-demolished Ballybeen House.

The screen follows a curving, ogee plan and comprises decorative wrought iron railings supported by a low, rendered wall. Two outer piers, square in plan and featuring panels, cornices, and shallow pyramidal caps, mark the edges of the screen. Two further inner piers lead to the gate piers, which are similar in style but hexagonal in plan. The gates are now electrically operated. A section of the screen on the east side has been recently replaced. The railings are painted white, and the piers are cream. A gate lodge is situated behind the screen.

The gate screen was constructed between 1834 and 1858, likely closer to the earlier date, based on the style of the accompanying gate lodge. The wrought ironwork is attributed to Shaw of Belfast. Ballybeen House was a large residence belonging to the Birch family, possibly built in the mid to late 1700s and initially known as ‘Birch Hall’. The house was destroyed by fire in the early 1900s.