86 Church Road, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9BX

86 Church Road, Holywood is a two-bay, three-storey mid-terrace house built circa 1870, forming part of a terrace of five. The house is located to the east of Church Road near Holywood town centre and represents a good example of the larger terraces that were developed as part of Holywood's expansion in the later 19th century.

The building is rectangular on plan with a two-storey return to the rear and a two-storey canted bay to the front. The pitched roof is covered in natural slate with red brick chimneys featuring moulded painted masonry plinths, multiple flues and terracotta pots; a brick gable chimney sits on the rear return. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods are supported on sandstone corbelled eaves.

The walling is Flemish bond red brick, with the canted bay faced in painted stone. Windows are timber-framed 1/1 sliding sash with sandstone moulded lugged surrounds, flat brick arches and painted sandstone cills. A continuous cill course runs across the upper floors. The double windows have stone moulded surrounds divided by a central Doric pilaster, with decorative console brackets under the sill in a 1-2-1 formation.

The principal elevation faces southwest. The left bay contains triple window openings; those to the ground and first floors are contained within the projecting canted bay with dentilled eaves, with paired openings to the upper floor. The right bay has a single opening at each level, including the entrance door. The door itself has four bolection-moulded raised-and-pointed panels with brass door furniture, a transom light surmounted by a sandstone pediment on scrolled console brackets, and a sandstone architrave. The door is accessed by four bull-nosed stone steps.

The building is abutted to the northwest by an adjoining building. The rear elevation is abutted by a two-storey return. The exposed section of the right bay contains a 6/6 sash window to all floors, while the left bay has multi-paned sash windows at each floor. The gable features a modern timber-framed window at ground floor level, and there is access to the yard through a simple timber door.

The house retains its original character and robust detailing. It is set back from the road with a small front garden and paved pathway enclosed with hedge and planting. The rear garden is accessed across a rear lane.

The terrace dates from between 1867 and 1870. It appears on a valuation town plan dating from circa 1860-1866 on what was described as a pasture field leased by William Brown from Andrew Cowan. The houses are first listed in the valuation book dating from 1867-79, when they were initially vacant, indicating they were newly built. By 1870 three of them were occupied and leased from Robert and Daniel Reade, the lessors remaining the Reade family throughout the period of Annual Revisions. All houses were initially valued at £28 each. By 1880 the terrace was known as Riverston Terrace, apparently taking its name from the nearby Riverston House. In 1883 the valuations were reduced to £25, most likely following an appeal.

The current house was initially occupied by Gerald Martin, followed by Mary Ash by 1887, then John Armour. Benjamin E Whitmore became the occupier in 1918, and Maud Pennefather in 1929. The building is located within a conservation area and remains in private residential use.