Leitholm U.P. Church, Church Lane, Leitholm

The Leitholm United Presbyterian Church, built in 1835, is situated on Church Lane, Leitholm. A vestry and entrance hall were added in 1872, followed by a belfry in 1874 and a gallery in 1877. Later alterations took place in the 20th century. The church has a near square-plan and comprises two storeys with a two-by-two bay arrangement. Adjacent to the front is a gabled entrance hall, topped by a belfry, and a single-story vestry is attached to the left. A single-story, lean-to addition extends from the right.

The original church is constructed of harl-pointed tooled sandstone rubble, with a coursed render at the rear; the later additions are of squared and snecked tooled cream sandstone with droved sandstone dressings. Droved quoins and long and short surrounds frame the openings, which have projecting cills.

The southwest-facing (entrance) elevation features a three-bay entrance hall with steps leading to a modern timber panelled door centrally located on the ground floor. A plaque above the door is inscribed with "1872". Single windows are positioned in the flanking bays, and a single window is centred at the first floor. A battered, gabled belfry with swept sandstone coping rises above the hall, bearing a plaque dated "1874." A bell is housed within, surmounted by a polygonal sandstone finial and an iron finial. A single window is centrally placed in the slightly advanced, single-story vestry to the outer left. A boarded timber door, set off-centre to the left, is found in the lean-to addition to the right. A two-story church hall stands behind.

The northwest-facing side elevation displays the original church structure with single windows at both ground and first floor levels in each of the two bays. The single-story vestry is located to the outer right. The northeast-facing rear elevation has two large, round-arched windows flanking the centre. The southeast-facing side elevation mirrors the northwest elevation, with single windows at both floors in both bays. A single-story, lean-to addition is attached to the outer left.

The majority of windows contain six- and nine-pane glazing within timber sash and case frames, although uPVC windows are present at the rear. The roof is grey slate, piended, with replacement rainwater goods. A rendered wallhead stack is visible on the vestry, along with a single circular can.

The church’s interior retains a galleried arrangement. A vestibule, accessed via a boarded timber door, leads to the vestry on the left and a stair to the upper gallery on the right. The stair features timber treads, decorative uprights, a timber handrail. A boarded timber door opens into the nave, which has a boarded timber floor and a modern timber dado. Timber pews, a carved timber pulpit, and a timber communion table are also present, alongside an organ centred on the east wall. The round-arched windows have painted long and short dressings. Regularly spaced iron columns support a three-sided, U-plan gallery with corbelled, timber panelled balcony fronts and tiered pews. A boarded timber dado panelling and a false ceiling complete the interior.