Drumachose Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A cruciform neo-gothic church with a pinnacled square tower set in the angle of two arms next to Church Street. Walls finished in greyish white roughcast rendering with a smooth rendered plinth having a pronounced batter. The gable of each transept has a three light large pointed window with three trefoils above handled in a quasi-flamboyant style, crisply cut sandstone, now painted. Each flanking wall has two tall two light pointed lancets with Y tracery. The roofs, recently redone, natural slates with ridge cresting, shallow overhangs and in the gables a louvred oculus. There is only one entrance in the north west side of the tower, pointed with label moulding and above it a shield in plaster with date inscribed 1743.Where the tower rises above the roof pitches a plain string course encompasses it and the two stages above defined by oculii and pointed louvred Y traceried windows in belfry. Shallow clasping buttresses terminate in slim pointed pinnacles with small knobs on top and between, plain crenellations. To the side of the entrance door a stepped shouldered diagonal buttress props against the tower.

The church sits close to the roadside with two sets of entrance gates in a rendered boundary wall and a sea of bitmac all around. To the side of the church a former manse of 1864 now housing the minister’s room and beyond that a modern hall.Immediately behind the church there is a single storey sexton’s house. To the south of the church, in a large rectangle of ground is a neat graveyard and almost the first grave is that of Rev Nathaniel Brown DD minister from 1845-1910. Dr Brown built Fairy Fort at his own expense in 1864. The congregation later purchased it and it is still the manse.

Historical information

A Presbyterian congregation was established in Limavady in 1655 when a Rev Thomas Fulton was minister 1655-88. The church was a building at the east end of Main street. In 1701 it was in a poor state of repair and it was determined that a new edifice be erected. This did not happen until 1743 when in April of that year a lease of land was obtained from John Alexander and a cruciform church was built, each arm measuring 24 feet by 24 feet on the inside. This is the site of the present church. Each arm or aisle was named as follows: Drumachose, Balteagh, Aghanloo and Newtown and so it remains to-day. These names date from at least c1830s when other congregations used the church. In 1874 it was decided to re-build the church and tenders were sought in April 1875 from builders, masons, carpenters, plasterers and stone cutters. Plans and specification could be obtained from William Wilson proprietor of the Alexander Arms Hotel. The new re-build followed the plan of the old using same foundations and re-using materials as far as possible. The roof timbers were re-used and these were ship timbers which caused difficulties in adaptation. In 1983-4 the roof was re-done. In 1886 the building was completed and the window tracery fitted in Dungiven sandstone. The plaque in the entrance porch, already mentioned above, records dates and principal subscribers. It was recorded that “the congregation now had a fine set of buildings comprising church, school house, session house and sexton’s house” and all debt cleared by 1899.

In 1982 the roof caused concern and the church was renovated and restored receiving a complete new roof, with walls strengthened at a cost of £80,000. It was reopened 27 May 1984 The new organ was dedicated with. Choir furnishings and a sound system were included.

References:

The Presbytery of Limavady - J E Mullan
Ordnance Survey Memoirs Vol. 9
Rev D S Irvin
Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A good example of a cruciform neo-gothic church which though re-built in 1875 retains its late 18th century plan form. This is a pure Greek cross plan with equal arms. A prominent pulpit is placed in a dramatic location retaining interior spatial quality, This is reminiscent of Scottish post Reformation churches such as Lauder (Berwick) a handsome cruciform church of 1673. There are few examples of Greek cross church plans in such pure form.( Killinchy Presbyterian church is an example. Another example, though never completed is a Church of Ireland church in St Johnston, Co Donegal.) Though the site changed in 1743 this is the continuation of the first Presbyterian congregation in Limavady.