Leathem House, 87 Church Road, Castlereagh, BELFAST, County Antrim, BT6 9SA

Leathem House is a two-storey five-bay dwelling possibly pre-dating around 1830. Located at the junction of Church Road and Manse Road, approximately 2 miles southeast of Belfast, it sits just off the crest of a large hill with extensive views northwest towards the city.

The house has a rectangular plan with various rear abutments. The front elevation faces east and is symmetrically arranged, with a centrally positioned timber eight-panelled door featuring a square-headed overlight with decorative indentations and a centrally positioned vertical letter-box inscribed with the initials "JCL". Two ground floor windows flank the door, with five first floor windows directly above. The building has a pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles, timber fascia boards and clipped verges, uPVC replacement rainwater goods, and chimneys over the gable apex with geometric projected cornice course and replacement pots. The walling is painted roughcast. Windows are 6/6 timber sliding box sash windows with horns on the ground floor and 3/6 on the first floor, with painted masonry cills. The left gable is blank.

The rear elevation is asymmetrically arranged and has been substantially raised and added to. It contains existing ground and first floor windows to the far right, an irregular pitched gable-ended single-storey rear return centrally located with replica double glazed windows and a modern glazed double-leaf door, and outbuildings to the northwest now attached via a small flat-roofed abutment. The outbuildings, possibly built at the same time as the main house, have been renovated to provide habitable accommodation. The building has been raised over the first floor to form a flat roof second floor, fenestrated with uPVC windows. The right gable is abutted by a two-storey gable-ended extension comprising a single first floor window and modern timber door. The right cheek abuts a flat-roofed infill block at ground floor, while the left cheek has a single timber casement window at ground floor.

Although of Georgian proportions and style, evidence regarding the building date is indeterminate. An outbuilding to the northeast bears a plaque inscribed "This House Was Built By Robert Leathem Anno Domini 1786", though all original internal detailing has been lost and no original source material has been found to confirm the construction date of the main dwelling. A map of "Leathem's farm" dating from around 1800 survives. The first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834 shows an uncaptioned L-shaped house on the site with a rear outbuilding. The Townland Valuation describes it as the residence of William McConnell, a house and offices valued at £8.14 shillings, with dimensions consistent with the present-day building. The surveyor expressed doubt about the age, noting "Neat house said to have been built in 1786 but it does not look by any means so old. Upper storey low". The inscription now found on the rear outbuilding may have been attached to the house itself at this period.

The second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858 shows additional outbuildings to the rear and a formal garden, with the house captioned "Castlereagh". Griffith's Valuation of 1861 confirms this name and records it as the residence of Mary Johnston, leasing from Robert Johnston, set in over 28 acres with house and offices valued at £16, later reduced to £13. Following Mary Johnston's death in 1878, Robert Sheills took over. Samuel Anderson was resident in 1887, and by 1900 the occupiers were Margaret Jackson and her husband David, a farmer, druggist and grocer, with three young children and two general domestic servants and a van man in attendance. The 1901 census records the house as first class with twelve rooms. Robert Simms was occupier in 1904, followed by William Hill at the time of the 1911 census. William James Hill, a farmer aged 26, became owner in fee in 1913 under land purchase legislation. The interior was destroyed following a severe fire around 1960.

The dwelling sits at a junction with gated pedestrian access to the east, bounded by a rubble masonry wall partially rendered. The rear slopes steeply westwards with well-maintained gardens terminated by a gravel tennis court. Vehicular access is to the north along a gravel driveway with planting. The prominent location and intact facade make a positive contribution to the rural setting, though the sprawling adjoining outbuildings and alterations to the rear and side detract from the overall character. The house is of some historical interest but has undergone significant alteration, with little internal fabric of interest remaining.