St John’s C. of I. Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A gabled rectangular church with eight large buttresses disposed around three of its sides, Tudor windows, and a bellcote, standing in a graveyard which slopes slightly from east to west.

Main entrance faces south. South facade comprises a single storey church two bays long with a later two-storey single bay addition to the west. Church roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses except for bottom two courses which are deeper, set between smooth cement rendered gable copings with small gap at extremities. Moulded cast iron gutter, with three cast iron downpipes, all painted black. Walls smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with offset plinth in smooth cement render; bulky weathered buttresses to each extremity and in centre, similar finish to walls. Two windows, one to each buttressed bay, each 3-light cusped headed of painted sandstone below moulded rectangular drip moulding, all original, with 19th century diamond pattern cast iron glazing bars incorporating opening vent to lower part of each central light; cement repairs to mullions and splays; plane of windows not as flush as overall wall. Gable to left, ie original west gable of church, surmounted by a smooth cement rendered bellcote with pointed Gothic opening containing a bell, and weatherings to sides.

Beyond to left, a later extension to church, of two storeys but overall lower ridge height: roof, walls, gutter and downpipe as previous, but with white painted timber fascia to eaves; slates more regular in appearance than main roof, and laid with lead upstands to gable copings. Main entrance, plain rectangular opening; double doors, looks like teak, brown stained and varnished, boarded in herringbone pattern, with brass door knob, all new. Window above, four light white painted timber casements with diamond pattern leading; concrete cill. Doorway surmounted by modern bracket light with white plastic flex looped through hole in wall, inappropriate so close to original church fabric. Concrete pavoirs to area in front of doorway, leading to new path of cobbled appearance but synthetic finish, and partly bordered by new tubular metal handrail fixed to adjacent buttress of church.

West elevation: gabled end of extension with bellcote rising behind; wall as previous; two windows, one to each floor, both white painted timber fixed lights with steep splayed concrete cills; four-light to 1st floor, with diamond pattern leading; three-light to ground floor, leading as previous, but glass tinted translucent with stained glass symbol and inscription to centre, with metal-mounted outer sheet of protective plate glass.

North elevation of church as south, but later poor quality lean-to store projecting from right hand corner: low cement rendered rubble walls, corrugated iron roof, ledged timber door; an earlier exterior finish of church walls revealed inside store, roughcast whitened, with some crushed stones revealed on surface.

To right, beyond west gable of church, north elevation of new extension similar to south side but two windows each floor: two-light casements as previous.

East elevation of church: walls as previous, with addition of flashing covering apex of gable; buttresses to each extremity, as previous but rendering to left hand one terminated in undulating profile above grave slabs leaning against it, now slipped down to reveal structure of buttress as comprising dressed sandstone previously harled; central window, as previous but five-light incorporating two opening vents. Path of concrete pavoirs all round base of church and extension.

Surrounding graveyard contains numerous headstones and memorial slabs, some in iron-railed enclosures, but none of special architectural interest.

SETTING: The church stands in a rural location on an elevated site overlooking Larne Lough, alongside a main road but with an air of seclusion by virtue of the churchyard being below the level of the road and being surrounded by mature trees, but the
setting of the church is spoiled somewhat by the recent path, laid in panels, which cuts a swathe through it; low modern cylindrical iron lighting fixtures flanking the path are unobtrusive. Boundary to east enclosed by rubble wall, banked up with earth on inner face, roughcast on outer face, with copings of large roughcut basalt stone blocks; square gate piers with smooth cement rendered faces and copings as front wall; modern circular bulk-head lights fitted to west face of each gate pier, inappropriate design; modern iron gates of appropriate and simple form; concrete stile attached to northern pier; wide concrete steps inside gateway leading down to churchyard level with concrete copings to retaining walls at side, mounted with modern iron railings, inappropriate. Boundary to north, west, and south of churchyard formed mainly by earthen banks and wire fencing; plus on south side, pedestrian gateway of concrete block piers, linked to front boundary wall by low concrete block wall, new, poor quality.

Historical information

The church reputedly dates originally from 1595 but no documentary evidence known for such precise dating; in the early 19th century it was merely referred to as ‘ancient’ and “of extreme antiquity”, and also claimed that there was “no prevailing tradition of its origin”. Its original architectural features do, however, point to a date in the 1590s or early 1600s. In 1827-8 the north wing and 26 feet of the western end of nave removed, original roof taken off, to form present church, at a cost reported variously as £351 or £370. Appears on OS map of 1832 as a plain rectangle; buttresses do not appear until OS map of 1857 and so would appear to have been built sometime between 1832 and 1857 but that is not conclusive as their omission from the first map may have been due to a lack of detail. Belfry added sometime after 1840. Unspecified improvements made to the church in 1882 at a cost of £50. Church refurnished in 1965 with introduction of black reading desk made from oak panelling from former Bishop’s Palace at Clonfert, Co Galway dating from 1630s. Communion table and reredos made from original Jacobean furniture from Monasterboice, Co Louth; bishop’s chair came from Clonfest, Co Galway and bears initials of Bishop John Whetmore of Clonfest and Kilmacduagh in 1736. Western porch and vestry added 1988-9. The church has been recorded as an ancient monument: SMR no. ANT41:17.

References - Primary

1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 41.
2. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 41.
Secondary

1. S. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol II (London, 1837), p 28.
2. W. Reeves, Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore (Dublin, 1847), p 272.J.
3. O’Laverty, A Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Vol III (1884), p 136.
4. L. Ewart, Handbook of the United Diocese of Down and Connor and Dromore (Belfast, 1886), pp 95-6.
5. D.A. Chart, ed, A Preliminary Survey of the Ancient Monuments of Northern Ireland (HMSO, Belfast, 1940), pp 35-6.
6. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Vol 10: Parishes of County Antrim III (Belfast, 1991), pp 44 and 78.
7. Souvenir leaflet of 400th Anniversary 1595-1995 (1995).
8. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Antrim (Belfast, 1996), p 26.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

This is a rare example of a church still in use in Northern Ireland whose main historic fabric dates from the late 16th or early 17th century and whose main architectural character is still determined by that period, despite significant alterations in the early 19th century. It has, however, been significantly degraded by recent additions and alterations.