St John's Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A free-standing hall-and-tower type Parish Church in the Gothic-style, built c.1830 and located to the south side of Rectory Road east of Coleraine. Rectangular plan with semi-engaged two-stage square tower to west; chancel and vestry to east.

Pitched natural slate roof with angled ridge tiles and raised masonry verges. Plastic rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is ruled smooth render; diagonal buttresses with offsets to tower, rising to stone castellated parapet with corner pinnacles; string-course between stages. Windows are a variety of leaded-and-stained glass lancets, dating from the late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century (unless otherwise stated), chamfered reveals and sills, surmounted by hood mould; diamond metal lattice lancet with plain glass to west face of tower.

West-facing gabled front has semi-engaged two-stage square tower to centre. Tower is stepped and has a louvered lancet with hood mould to second stage at all four sides. First stage has lancet to west face and opens to north with a replacement double-leaf timber door surmounted by a fixed timber tympanum in chamfered reveal with hood mould. Door is surmounted by an inscribed marble plaque in moulded sandstone surround, reading; “ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM/ ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL/ EPH. IV.5.6”.

North elevation of nave is lit by three windows.

The east gable is abutted by the lower chancel, having a staged three-light mullioned lancet window. Right cheek is abutted by the gabled vestry, having raised quoins and rendered chimneystack to gable. West elevation has a replacement timber-sheeted door in a chamfered reveal, accessed by two stone steps. Square-headed late twentieth-century hardwood casement leaded-and-stained glass window to east.

The south elevation is detailed as north.

Setting:

Situated on a large square plot to the south side of Rectory Road, opposite the former Rectory (HB03/06/011B). Cemetery to west with a variety of headstones and tombs dating from the early nineteenth-century. To south is a steel latch gate leading to a modern cemetery. Bounded to north by a high roughcast rendered wall with concrete coping; entrance has two circular piers with pointed caps supporting replacement steel gates. To left side of entrance is a replacement replacement steel stile. Small slated roughcast-rendered shed also to left side of entrance.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Ruled smooth render
Windows: Variety of leaded-and-stained glass lancets
RWG: Plastic

Historical information

St John’s Church, parish of Ballyrashane, is a “typical Board of First Fruits church in ‘later English style’” , dating from 1825-7 (Girvan; Lewis; Parish of Ballyrashane and Kildollagh). The church is shown, captioned, on the first edition OS map of 1830 as a simple rectangular structure, (although it was built with a tower) work commencing in 1825 and finishing in 1826. (Lewis; OS Memoirs)

The site was an ancient one and part of the foundations of an earlier church said to date from the reign of James I still remained in the 1830s, 35 yards south of the present building. The graveyard contains tombstones dating back to the seventeenth century and in the 1830s the Memoirs record the grave of Jane Wilson, wife of James Stirling of Knockenkeragh, who died 18th November 1699. Elizabethan coins of sixteenth century date had also been found in the graveyard, as it was thought to be the custom for Highland families when burying in new ground to throw in a ‘piece of money, in order to take possession’. (OS Memoirs)

The OS Memoirs describe the church as having a well –finished appearance, ’ornamented with a square tower at the west end which is surmounted by four pinnacles, one at each angle. The interior is also well finished and the roof is supported by cast-iron rafters which are visible and improve the appearance. The seats are not boarded at the back or enclosed with doors, except four on the east end and as many on the west end next the entrance. Each pew will accommodate 6 persons and, as there are 24 pews, it will therefore accommodate 144 persons. The church was commenced on the 21st June 1825 and cost 900 pounds Irish currency which sum was granted by the Board of First Fruits’. (OS Memoirs)

A monument to the rector during whose incumbency the church was built, Rev Thomas Cupples, was installed after his death in 1854. The sculptor, Francesco Ceccarini, was a native of Rome who later lived in London and Belfast. (www.dia.ie; Girvan)

Rowan assesses the church as ‘very pretty, toy-like and unaltered since it was built’ while Girvan comments on the original diamond panes and the setting, ‘surrounded by trees, it makes a pretty composition’. (Rowan; Girvan) At least one of the stained glass windows is by Clokey of Belfast. The church was listed in 1977 and the graveyard extended in 1986. (HB file)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/8/1 First Edition OS Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/8/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-53
3. PRONI OS/6/5/8/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/8/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1922-3
5. PRONI OS/6/5/8/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1950
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/14A-F Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/2 First General Revaluation 1933-57
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/6/3/P/3 First General Revaluation 1933-57
9. Griffith’s Valuation online
10. HB file – 03/06/011

Secondary Sources

1. Day, A., P. McWilliams, English L., eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Londonderry VI, 1831, 1833, 1835-6, Vol. 22.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1993.
2. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in Coleraine and Portstewart” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1971-2
3. Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837.
4. “The Parish of Ballyrashane and Kildollagh” Belfast: Newtown Publishing, 1900
5. Rowan, A “The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster” Penguin, 1979
6. www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

A free-standing hall-and-tower type Parish Church in the Gothic-style, built c.1830 and located to the south side of Rectory Road east of Coleraine. Situated on a mature plot in an unspoiled rural setting, opposite the former Rectory (HB03/06/011B) with which it has group value. St John the Baptist is a modest but well-proportioned example of an early nineteenth-century rural Parish church. Retaining much of its original character the setting is enhanced by an early nineteenth-century cemetery and the original boundary walls and entrance. The church is of significant social importance and local interest and makes an important contribution to the architectural character of Coleraine district.

General comments

Listing criteria R - Age and S - Authenticity also apply

Previously HB03/06/011