White Lodge, 31 Eastleigh Drive, Belfast, BT4 3DX

White Lodge is a detached three-bay single-storey house with a U-shaped plan and two long single-storey rear returns, together with a converted two-storey coach house. Built between circa 1858 and 1901, it stands on the east side of Eastleigh Drive, Belfast, close to the pavement and set back behind a hedge within a large suburban garden.

The main building has a pitched natural slate roof with red and orange clay roll top ridge tiles. Plain smooth rendered chimneysstacks rise to the gable ends, each topped with two tall yellow clay pots. The overhanging verges of the main building feature timber sheeted soffit with paired moulded timber brackets positioned at eaves, ridge and purlin levels. Other eaves have timber fascia and soffit boards with cast-iron and uPVC half-round gutters and circular rainwater pipes.

The walls are finished in smooth painted ruled and lined render with semi-circular moulded plinth detail. All windows are timber and consist of segmental arch sliding sashes with projecting masonry cills, except where otherwise noted.

The principal (west) elevation features a central full-height shallow break-front entrance bay containing a segmental arch door opening with moulded surround. The door is an original timber panelled and glazed type with original door furniture and an overlight bearing the painted gold lettering 'White Lodge'. On either side of the entrance, full-height shallow break-front bays contain paired segmental arch openings with moulded surround, continuous masonry projecting cill and 1/1 windows. A deep cornice at eaves level supports a stepped parapet with flat projecting coping and hidden gutter above.

The north gable elevation carries a single central square-headed 2/2 casement window. The south gable elevation has a central segmental arch opening with a 1/1 window flanked by identical windows positioned close to the outermost corners.

The rear (east) elevation is abutted on its left by a pitched natural slate roofed rear return with eaves set slightly lower than the main roof. A smooth rendered chimney stack is centred on the gable, topped by a projecting high curved coping and single yellow clay pot. The east gable is blank; the south elevation has two square-headed 2/2 windows, and the north has a single square-headed casement window. At the re-entrant angle a small lean-to contains a single small square-headed casement window to the east; the north elevation is blank. At the far right, a natural slate roofed mono-pitch rear return abuts the main building. Its east elevation abuts a high garden wall with a small lean-to beyond; the south elevation of the lean-to has a single small square-headed window and the east is blank. The south side has a square-headed timber door to the left, a square-headed three-light casement window to its right, a square-headed timber sheeted door further to the right, and a square-headed opening at the far right. The north elevation abuts the two-storey converted coach house at the far left; the remainder is blank. The remaining exposed section of the main building shows a single 2/2 window. The two returns, the main building and high garden wall enclose a small yard to the rear which leads to the garden beyond.

A two-storey annexe is attached to the north of the mono-pitch rear return. This is the original coach house and loft, heavily renovated with largely altered fenestration and layout. It features uPVC windows and doors, smooth rendered walls and a natural slate roof. It forms a small enclosed yard to the west bounded by the mono-pitch rear return, the site boundary wall and a high gate to the front of the property.

A small lean-to outbuilding is located to the north-west of this yard.

The north elevation of the former coach house is blank. The south is abutted by a small lean-to with the remainder blank. The west elevation has a single central large square-headed opening with uPVC glazed door and side lights. The east elevation has uPVC French doors to the left, a uPVC window to the right and two uPVC windows at first floor level.

The setting comprises a tree-lined street with the house positioned close to the pavement. The property retains its original coach house and enclosed yard to the north and a rear garden set in lawn with dispersed fruit trees and perimeter planting.