Saltersland Presbyterian Church, 60 Ballymulligan Road, Moneymore, Magherafelt, Co Londonderry

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a detached mid 19th century Presbyterian Church, ‘Saltersland Presbyterian Church’ consisting of a long and rectangular nave with a single-storey gabled entrance porch to the front West, and a single-storey hipped roof vestry to the rear East. The vestry extension was built c. 1988. The Church is set on the East side of Ballymulligan Road to the Northeast of the commercial area of The Loup.

The front West elevation is gable ended and faces onto Ballymulligan Road. The projecting entrance porch is single-storey and is located to the centre. The doorway located to the South of the porch, is square-headed with a panelled timber door. The door is set on stone steps. The front elevation is two bays in width, whereas the side elevations are three bays.

The windows to the main church are round-headed and set on painted stepped cut-stone sills. There are carved stone surrounds to the windows with cut-stone keystones over.

The side North and South elevations are three bays in width. Windows are long round-headed lancet timber set on stepped cut-stone sills. There are carved stone drip mouldings to the windows set on carved stone label stops.

The rear East elevation is gable-ended. It has two roundel windows. The elevation is partially obscured by the single-storey hipped vestry return.

External walls to the front elevation are lined render with moulded quoins. The gable over is plain render. The porch is lined render. The remaining elevations are ruled-and-lined render. The side and rear elevations are of plain render. Walls rest on a projecting render plinth. The roof is pitched with artificial slate. Rainwater goods are replacement extruded aluminium.

Returns:
The single-storey vestry is located to the rear elevation. It is T-shaped in plan. There is a square-headed timber casement window and door to the South elevation. The door is modern timber. The roof is hipped with natural slate.

Setting

The First Presbyterian Church is located to the Northeast of the commercial area of The Loup, and fronts onto Ballymulligan Road. There is a dry-dashed wall to the front with painted cut-stone capping. There are vehicle gates to the front West and also to the South. Both gates have rendered square pillars and cut-stone capping and painted wrought-iron gates. A graveyard is located to the South and North of the Church.

Historical information

The date of this church is not certain. It is shown on the revised OS map of 1853 marked ‘Presbyterian meeting house’ and its earliest register (for marriages) dates from 1845.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/5/47/2 OS map, Co Londonderry, 1853

Secondary sources
1 Rowan, A.J., ‘North west Ulster’, (London, 1979), pp.125-26
2 www.presbyterianireland.org/about/records.html

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a detached mid 19th century Presbyterian Church, essentially a barn church with the addition of porch and vestry. It is an example of an unassuming church. It is pleasingly proportioned and displays a modest degree of decorative detail, typical of the genre.