St Patrick's C of I church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single-storey C of I church built in 1820, with two-stage tower, spire and chancel added in 1846, and small vestry in 1869. The church is prominently set on a rise next to a bend in the Glenshesk Road, roughly a mile east of Armoy, with the not insubstantial remains of a 10th century round tower occupying part of the surrounding graveyard.

[Actual compass points are used.]
The church is constructed in basalt rubble, with sandstone quoins and brick and sandstone dressings to the openings, with the roof and (octagonal) spire slated. The tower is to the W end of the building. To the ground floor of the S face of the tower is the entrance, which consists of a tall pointed arch doorway with recently replaced timber-sheeted double door with brick and painted [?]render surround. To the upper stage of the tower there is a pair of pointed arch openings separated by a bevelled stone mullion. These openings are louvered and have brick dressings, a moulded drip stone and a brick relieving arch over.

To the W face of the tower there is a tall pointed arch window to the lower stage with timber frame and leaded (lattice pattern) glazing, and drip moulding and dressings etc. all similar to previous. To the upper stage there is a pair of openings identical to those on the S face. A small, relatively recently built lean-to has been built against the N face of the tower. Above the level of the lean-to there is a window-like outline with cement render dressings. The upper stage of the tower is as the other faces, with the E face of the tower (which is only exposed at the upper stage, identical. The tower has a moulded sting course between the stages and one above the upper stage. There is a battlemented parapet and the spire was a fish-shaped weathervane.

The N face of the nave has three relatively large pointed arch windows with glazing similar to that to the tower, but with secondary glazing over. These windows have raised paint [?]render dressings. Attached to the left hand (E) end of the nave (and to the N face of the chancel) is the lean-to vestry. This has a pointed arch doorway, with timber-sheeted door and sandstone dressings, to its W face, and two small pointed arch windows with timber frames, metal lattice panes and sandstone dressings. There is a similar, but larger window (with Y-tracery frame) to the E face.

The S face of the nave has four windows of similar size and with similar glazing to those on the N face, however these windows have brick dressings.

The E face of the chancel (which is flush with the E face of the vestry), has a grouping of three tall narrow pointed arch windows with stained glass. These windows appear to have had their brick dressing renewed in recent times; the relieving arch appears to have been renewed also.

The chancel and the nave have parapets to their gables with short end piers and a pier-like finial to the apex of the parapet to the E gable of the nave. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

The church is surrounded by a small graveyard with the ruins of the round tower close to the NW corner. The graveyard contains headstones dating back to the 18th century. One of these headstones, (to the NW of the church near to the ruins of the round tower), belonging to the grave of a Captain Alexander Clark and dating from 1786, is practically identical some near contemporary headstones within Ramoan Old Graveyard, near Ballycastle, and is undoubtedly by the same mason, one Alexander McDonnell. The graveyard is enclosed by a low rubble wall with pedestrian gateway to the W, with large rounded pillars, with rendered finish and shallow conical caps, and an iron gate. A tarmac pathway leads from the gate to the church entrance.

Historical information

The presence of the 10th century round tower indicates that this site is likely to have been occupied by a church from that date at least. The present church, however, as the date stone tells us, was ‘rebuilt’ in 1820. It stands, according to the OS Memoirs of 1838, ‘on the foundations of an ancient church of the same dimensions as to the breadth, except that it was 12 feet longer’, with ‘lancet shaped windows’ and ‘a square door’, which was demolished ‘on account of the great accumulation of graves that had been formed about the windows and doors of it’.

The church is recorded in the valuation of 1834 as measuring 50½ft by 27. In 1846, the tower was built, the nave extended by roughly 10ft, (it is recorded as measuring 20yrds in the 1859 valuation), and the chancel added. The vestry extension is believed to have been built in 1869.

A major restoration scheme was carried out to the church in 1997.

References- Primary sources
2 PRONI OS/6/1/13/1 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1832)
3 PRONI VAL/1B/130 First valuation, Armoy parish [Cary Barony] (1834)
4 OS Memoirs, Parish of Armoy, (1832-38), reprinted in ‘Ordnance Survey memoirs of Ireland…’ ed Angelique Day, Patrick McWilliams and Noirin Dobson (Belfast, QUB, 1994), p.4
5 PRONI OS/6/1/13/2 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1857)
6 PRONI VAL/2B/1/23a Second valuation, Armoy parish [Cary Barony] (1859)
7 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1a Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1864-78)
8 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1b Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1878-85)
9 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1c Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1885-1900)
10 Bassett, George Henry, ‘The Book of County Antrim’ (Dublin, 1888), p.87
11 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1d Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1901-12)
12 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1e Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1912-29)
13 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ (Belfast, 1905)
14 PRONI VAL/3B/1/4 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Ballycastle RD (1935)
15 PRONI VAL/3C/1/4 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland [annual revisions], Ballycastle RD (1936-57) ) [This valuation book is currently closed ‘according to the criteria set out in the White Paper on Open Government’.]
16 PRONI VAL/4B/1/9 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland [annual revisions], Ballycastle RD (1957-72)

Secondary sources
1 O’Laverty, Rev. J., ‘Diocese of Down and Connor Ancient and Modern’ Vol.IV, (Dublin, 1887)
2 Girvan, W.D., ‘Historic Buildings…North Antrim’ (Belfast, 1972), p.37
3 Brett, C.E.B., ‘The Buildings of County Antrim’, (Belfast, 1996), p.7

Other
references
1 EHS HB05/05/010 First Survey report (26 September 1972)
2 EHS HB05/05/010 Photographs (Oct 1972, Apr-Nov 1997)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Single-storey C of I church built in 1820, with two-stage tower, spire and chancel added in 1846, and small vestry in 1869. This a good example of a small early to mid 19th century parish church which evolved from a much simpler structure. The prominent setting and the presence of the ruined 10th century round tower add much to the impact of the building.