Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A mid-19th century stone church in Gothic Revival style consisting of a nave and chancel, with a small vestry on the north side of the chancel. It stands in a rural area facing to the west side of the public road but set back from it a short distance within its own grounds.

Walling is of snecked hammer-dressed sandstone rubble, with smooth sandstone dressings to openings, and a projecting eaves course, and has a battered base. Roofs are of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. Rainwater goods are of cast iron with moulded gutters and circular downpipes.

The main entrance faces east, located in the centre of the nave gable. There is a central slightly projecting shouldered porch with a battered base and gable copings rising to a stone finial of fleur-de-lys form; in the apex of the porch gable is a recessed Latin cross.
A pair of modern rectangular ledged timber doors with a leaded Gothic arched fanlight is set in a chamfered Gothic arched opening.
Above the porch are three Gothic lancets in the main gable containing leaded glazing behind storm glazing, each surmounted by a drip moulding with shaped stops. Above the central lancet is a recessed plaque inscribed 'Erected by the Rev J. McKenna A.D. 1860', and above that, in the apex of the main gable, is a small quatrefoil opening in a circular surround, surmounted by a semi-circular drip moulding with nail-head stops. Surmounting the main gable is a weathered and gabled bellcote containing a bell in a Gothic arched opening and surmounted by a stone wheel cross.

The south elevation comprises a four-bay nave with a short chancel extending to the left. The chancel walling has a weathered set-back at cill level. The four windows to the nave are simple Gothic lancets, glazed as previous, but without drip mouldings. There are two windows to the chancel of similar detailing but smaller.

The west elevation comprises the gable of the chancel with a small vestry set back to the left. The chancel gable contains a triplet of windows comprising a central cusped two-light with a circular tracery light, flanked each side by simple lancets, all in drip mouldings, and glazed as previous. Both the nave gable and the chancel gable are surmounted by a stone wheel cross.

The west elevation of the vestry has two small Gothic arched windows similar to the chancel. Its north gable contains a slightly projecting chimney breast rising to a small stop-chamfered chimney, weathered on top, and has a plain projecting stone shield on the breast. The east side of the vestry contains a shouldered rectangular timber sheeted door and a small lancet window.

The north elevation of the nave and chancel is similar to the south. There are three windows to the nave, as previous, with the easternmost bay occupied by a doorway. The doorway contains a Gothic arched timber sheeted two-leaf door surmounted by a projecting cusped arch with a corbelled gable over it, rising to an ornamented stone cross.

SETTING: The building is approached from the main road by a wide pedestrian gateway raised from road level on concrete steps, which leads to a concrete paved area in front of the main entrance. The pavings continue around the perimeter of the building as a path. The grounds are laid out with small lawns to the north, and a grassy graveyard to the south and rear. The front boundary is formed by a rubble stone wall which has roughly cut crenellated stone copings. The main gateway contains a pair of original ornamented ironwork gates hung on a pair of square sandstone piers of unusual design, conventionally chamfered but also incorporating a carved rope moulding and carrying gabled caps surmounted by plain cut wheel crosses, all set back slightly from the front wall. There is also a smaller pedestrian gateway at the northern end of the front boundary containing a simple original flat iron gate. The boundary to the north is a similar rubble wall to the front, but higher, and contains a pair of modern steel gates leading into an extensive tarmac car park.

Standing adjacent to the vestry is a small modern single storey, slated and gabled building of smooth rendered finish and appropriate form for the
setting.

Historical information

Built in 1860 for the Rev J. McKenna, to replace an earlier church.

Roof rebuilt and interior reinstated after an arson attack, c 1997.

References - Primary Sources
1. Inscribed plaque on the building.

Secondary Sources
1. Information from parish priest in 2007.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A mid-19th century stone church in Gothic Revival style consisting of a nave and chancel, with a small vestry on the north side of the chancel. The church is well proportioned, of plain and robust character but exhibiting a minor degree of appropriate ornamental embellishment in its stone cross finials, and nicely varied stone canopies to the two nave entrances. Its interior reinstatement following destruction by fire has been achieved in a generally sympathetic manner, notwithstanding the now somewhat 'modern' feel to some of the fittings and furnishings. It enjoys a largely unspoiled rural setting in its associated graveyard, which is enhanced by its original front boundary walls and gates, and stands as a building of local architectural interest as well as social importance.