St Canice’s C of I Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A stone built four bay deep simple hall church with square crenellated and pinnacled three stage tower at west end containing entrance, with projecting vestry at south east corner and projecting wing on north side near east end, newly slated, with unfortunate lean-to pitched roof over vestry. The three stage tower has pointed door on south side with plain string courses defining each stage. Above the door a small square blank recess with flat sandstone surround and reveal on west side and a similarly proportioned window on north side. Second stage has pointed blank window on south and west sides and window on north, all of similar size to ground floor. Third stage has single large pointed and louvred opening on each face with short and long sandstone surrounds. All openings have whinstone relieving arches over the sandstone. Above the simple moulded string course of the third stage the parapet has single flat topped battlements with undecorated sharp pointed pinnacles on each corner.

The nave has a row of two light pointed windows on south side evenly spaced with short and long smooth sandstone surrounds finishing flush with the random rubble stonework which is a mixture of whinstone and sandstone with the mortar joints buttered i.e. spreading onto the face of the stone. Each window has a whinstone relieving arch. On the north side are three similar windows, the organ wing obliterates the 4th. The chancel is undefined externally and the east gable has a comparatively wide three light window with criss-cross Y tracery with sandstone surround as elsewhere. There is a plinth with chamfered sandstone string course, approximately 600 mm above floor level, encompassing the entire building except the vestry projection.

The organ projection with roof has smooth rendered walls with narrow pointed lancets in side walls and circular window high up on gable with a pentagonal patterned glazing. This work is probably c1913. The vestry with the discordant lean-to roof is of recent rebuild with pointed vestry door, one slim pointed lancet and the walls built of a mixture of squared sandstone, field stones, whinstone and concrete blocks. Above the vestry door an ancient looking stone plaque with damaged raised border. There are some indecipherable markings with initials T P and C and a date 1682. We were told this plaque came from the demolished Glebe House. The asbestos slated roof with timber fascias and bargeboards with slight barge overhang masks former barge stones and eaves corbelling. Guttering and downpipes in PVC. Windows are of timber frames with cast iron diamond inserts neatly done, in good condition and painted white. Cills are in sandstone.

The building is set at right angles to the Drumsurn Road with the tower adjacent. Around the church is a partly filled graveyard with a few mature trees in the boundaries. Originally there were more. A stone boundary wall marks the Drumsurn Road with stone piers and iron gates. Across the road the site of the former church (HB02/08/024).

Historical information

Church replaced former edifice across road and was built in 1815 and received a grant of £600 from Board of First Fruits. However the Ordnance Survey Memoir states “built in 1816 by Mr Hugh Knight of Ballykelly, from a grant of £700 from Board of F F. In 1823, when the present incumbent (Rev George Scott) was appointed, the church although new was quite out of repair, the slates being of inferior condition and badly put on were continually falling off, and the pews and floor were rotted from the damp. In 1823 the sum of 300 pounds was borrowed from the Board and was expended in the following enlargements and repairs: the length of the church was extended by 20 feet, the whole roof was covered with large slates and a gallery was added, a new floor, pews and ceiling constructed…….. The church is gothic and lighted by four windows at the southern side and one on the eastern. Its dimension of 58 feet by 25½ and those of the tower 9 feet 10 inches by 12 ½ feet. Within the tower is a spiral wooden staircase leading to the gallery. The body of the church affords ample accommodation for 150 persons and the gallery for 50”. The reference to extending the building 20 feet cannot be correct. Today there is no spiral stair or gallery. If there was a spiral stair within the tower it left little room for easy passage. Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary refers to a “granted loan of £277 for its repair in 1828”. Again Leslie refers to church “in 1820 it was in perfect repair lately built”. Leslie also refers to work in 1896 “the church was greatly improved, windows were opened on the north side, heating apparatus installed, a pipe organ introduced, the chancel panelled in oak, a new pulpit erected and the floor tiled throughout, besides many minor improvements”. Recently in 1980s the church was re-roofed, vestry mostly rebuilt and lean-to roof put on. The church probably owes its form to John Bowden who was architect to the Board of F F. Though Rowan refers to a short chancel there is no physical evidence of one. Electricity and fittings were provided by S M Macrory of Ardmore Lodge. (HB02/08/014)

There are few memorials in the church and are as follows:

North wall - plaque to Rev Heaslett rector Balteagh 1946-77
West wall - plaque to Rev Stack d. 13 Apr 1863
South wall - plaque to John J Buchanan b. 17 Mar 1858 d. 26 Mar 1924.

References:

Ordnance Survey Memoirs Vol. 9
Leslie Clergy of Derry and Raphoe -
Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary Vol.1.
Rowan Buildings of North West Ulster -

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A pleasing example of a late Georgian church without chancel, built of stone with three stage tower. However the extent of alterations
since the second half of the nineteenth century, the ubiquity of church buildings of this type and the use of inappropriate materials degrades the heritage value of the building to the point where listing cannot be justified.