St John's Church of Ireland

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A rubblestone Neo-Gothic Church of Ireland church erected in 1830 and extensively remodelled and extended in 1875 by J.G. Ferguson. Located to the south-west of Coleraine and overlooking the River Bann, the building is rectangular on plan with a small stone bell-cote and a number of stone and slated abutments including a chancel, vestry and twin gabled aisles.

Steeply pitched and slated saddleback roof having terracotta angled ridge-tiles; sandstone coping and kneelers. Offset ashlar sandstone bell-cote rises from east gable, surmounted by an ornate iron finial and pierced with a Gothic opening in which a bronze bell is hung.

Largely half-round cast-iron or replacement metal rainwater goods, mounted on plain timber fascia to overhanging eaves. Walling is squared black rubblestone roughly built to courses with sandstone dressings and quoins; projecting rubblestone plinth to north elevation and south twin-gabled abutment (unless otherwise stated). Window openings are generally pointed-arched, three-lights with geometrical foiled tracery and voussoired rubblestone-heads; sandstone stepped surrounds and sills (unless otherwise stated). Windows are a combination of leaded and latticed or stained glass (with a number of modern replacements); the majority have storm glazing in place.

Principal elevation faces west, dominated by a four-light window with hood moulding and decorative stops over a modern flat-roofed extension. A further gabled two-storey extension abuts to the north-west corner (which incorporates the roof of a previous, smaller return); both have modern timber frame stained glass windows and are executed in similar style to the church but are of little interest.

North elevation comprises the roughly coursed rubblestone wall of the original church (c.1830) and is lit by three two-light windows having voussoired sandstone heads. Below are three large vents in square sandstone surrounds fitted with iron bars; to left-side is a small timber and metal, studded door with vents and stone step to basement. Left kneeler stone has been remodelled with ashlar chimney vent inserted (mid to late 19th century).

East elevation is abutted by lower double-height chancel which contains a three-light window similar to the west window, over a battered undercroft having three diminutive square-headed openings with replacement uPVC lattice windows. Right cheek is abutted by a full-height gabled extension (early to mid 20th century), pierced by pointed-arched openings to east and west which are sealed with modern metal gates; contained within entry is a pointed-arch doorway to basement beneath chancel, with a braced and sheeted timber door having original furniture. The north elevation has a single lattice paned window in stepped sandstone surrounds; left-cheek is blank over archway; right-cheek has a modern metal stair and landing to a timber sheeted door set in chamfered sandstone surrounds with carved stone-piece to the upper corners. Left-cheek of chancel has mono-pitched abutment (c.1927) accessed via a stone stair, containing a similar double leaf door with ornate hinges; east elevation contains a pair of cusped lancet window openings with elongated sandstone heads.

South elevation is completely abutted by a twin-gabled single-storey aisles (mid 20th century) to the centre and right-side each having a central window; the left rentrant angle is abutted by a lower side chapel (late 19th century) with some uPVC rainwater goods and a pair of cusped and elongated lancet windows containing recent stained glass insertions.

Setting
Sited within a mature graveyard
setting on the elevated western bank of the River Bann, to the south west of Coleraine town, the church is overlooked by St John’s Roman Catholic Church (HB03/15/002) located to the south-west. The site which slopes downward from west to east is enclosed by a black rubblestone wall (similar to the church) and contains a two-storey hall to the north (c.1960) along with a number of historic graves, including the John Dunlop burial vault (c.1731) directly to the north-east of the church building. The entrance on Strand Road which has square stone-capped piers supporting painted cast-iron gates, leads to a bifurcated bitmac path. The main entrance gates to the west have been recently replaced with modern metal gates and railings.

Roof Slate
RWG Cast-iron/ replacement metal/ uPVC
Walling Coursed & squared blackstone rubble
Windows Pointed-headed with geometrical foiled tracery, stained glass / leaded lattice

Historical information

First shown captioned ‘New Church’ on the first edition OS map (1830) the building was erected in 1830, replacing a previous church, which was located a short distance to the north. The newly constructed building was first valued at £18 in the Townland valuations (1830s) and by 1856 this figure had increased to £25 in Griffith’s Valuations (1856), reflecting the completion of the interior in 1835 (OS Memoirs) and the addition of a porch to the west which is indicated on the second edition OS map (1849). The value of the church marginally increased by £1 in the General Revisions (1885-1892) despite renovation works in 1867 and the considerable remodelling and additions, which were carried out in 1875 by the architect John Guy Ferguson. Further extensions were added during the early 20th century but these did not constitute any further changes in the value of the church.

The new church which could accommodate 200 people and constitutes the core of the present building, was completed in June 1830 at a cost of £988 10s (DIA). Built to the designs of an unknown architect the Gothic-style building was unembellished by either a tower or spire and comprised a simple rectangular plan with a western door and pointed windows to the east, north and south (OS Memoirs; Lewis). Funding was provided through subscriptions, a number of sizable donations and by a loan from the Board of First Fruits. The old church was reported in the OS Memoir (1835) as being in good repair and it remained in use as a parochial schoolhouse until the early 20th century.

The erection of a gallery and a new aisle to the south was proposed c1834 and in anticipation of this expansion, an arch was made in the south wall to enable the wall to be easily opened up in the future (OS Memoirs). The church was reopened in October 1867 following extensive repairs coupled with the addition of a double transept to the north. The building was extensively remodelled in 1875, to the designs of John Guy Ferguson and these alterations are illustrated by the Town Plan map (1882). The work, which was undertaken by McClelland & Co. with furnishing by A.D. Williams & Co, included the addition of a bell-cote and side entrance porch (south-west), the lowering and partial rebuilding of the walls to increase the pitch of the roof and the insertion of new windows. The eastern proportion was also enlarged with construction of a new robing room and the chancel (DIA; Girvan).

A vestry, executed in a similar style to the existing building, was added by Blackwood and Jury in 1927 and contained a brick Gothic archway beneath (third edition OS map 1949; Girvan). The south elevation was extended during the mid 20th century with the construction of a twin-gabled transept coupled with further additions to the south-east and also the west entrance (first edition OS Irish Grid map 1967-68).

The previous church which was located to the north (where the church hall now stands) was a building of some antiquity with an ecclesiastical history dating from the mid 13th century. The first church was established c.1248, as a place of worship for the English soldiers garrisoned at a nearby castle but this had fallen into decay by the early Plantation period and was renovated in 1616. Further renovation works followed in 1690 and 1767 before the ‘Old Church’ was replaced by the new building to the south in 1830 (Girvan; Curl).

References

1. PRONI OS/6/1/11/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map (1830)
2. PRONI OS/6/5/7/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (1849-50)
3. PRONI OS/9/24/1/12 – Town Plan map (1882)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/1/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map (1904)
5. PRONI OS/10/5/7/7/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25-Inch map (1922)
6. PRONI OS/10/5/7/7/3– Third Edition Ordnance Survey 25-Inch map (1949)
7. PRONI OS/11/13/13/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey 25-Inch Irish Grid map (1967-8)
8. PRONI VAL/1/B/57 – Townland Valuations (1830s)
9. PRONI VAL/2/B/5/3F – Griffith’s Valuation (1856)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9A- General Revisions (1859-65)
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9B- General Revisions (1866-74)
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9C- General Revisions (1875-84)
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9E- General Revisions (1885-92)
14. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9G- General Revisions (1893-99)
15. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9M- General Revisions (1900-12)
16. PRONI VAL/3/B/6/3 – First General Revaluations (1935)
17. HB File (HB03/15/001)

Secondary Sources

1. Day, Angélique and McWilliams, Patrick (eds) ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs; The Parishes of Co. Londonderry (Vol. 33) XII 1829-30, 1832, 1834-6, Coleraine & Mouth of the Bann’ Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University, Belfast (1993)
2. Mullin, Rev. T.H. ‘Coleraine in Georgian Times’ Century Services Ltd. Belfast (1977)
3. Rowan, Alistair ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ Yale University Press, London (1979)
4. Girvan, W.D. ‘List of Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings & Areas of Architectural Importance in Coleraine & Portstewart’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, Belfast, (1973) 5. MacLaughlin. D, ‘A Short Sketch of the History of St John the Evangelist, Killowen, Coleraine’ Coleraine, (1900)
6. www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

A plainly detailed free-standing, double-height Victorian Neo-Gothic style church c.1830 extensively remodelled in 1875, with a number of further 20th century and recent additions. Situated on a prominent site between Killowen Street and Strand Road, in a largely residential area, the building continues to be of significant social importance to the local community. The surrounding site is also of value as there has been a long history of previous church buildings, dating back to the Middle Ages. Despite a number of additions, the overall character has been largely retained and these alterations serve to demonstrate the evolution of the building, reflecting the changing needs of the times. In conjunction with St John’s Roman Catholic Chapel (HB03/15/002), the two churches make an important contribution to the streetscape of the immediate area and to the wider townscape character of Coleraine.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and T - Historic Importacne aslo apply.