Belltower at

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Free-standing square-plan three-stage belfry, built c.1915, located to the south side of St Dympna’s Road, Dromore.

Walls are roughcast rendered with stepped quoins and projecting string course dividing each stage.

First stage north elevation contains single square-headed replacement door within ruled-and-lined-rendered square-headed recess with smooth rendered banding; east, west and south elevations are blank.

Second stage south elevation contains square-headed narrow window opening at centre (no window remaining); east, north and west elevations are blank.

Third belfry stage is supported on square corner pillars each divided by diminished pillar at centre. Suspended cast metal bell and wheel remains intact below timber sheeted soffit. Third stage is terminated by octagonal natural slate cupola and cast-metal cross finial. Corner of belfry stage are surmounted by masonry pediments.

The belfry is set on an elevated site to the south of St Dympna’s RC church. The building is enclosed to south and east by mature hedging; accessed at north by tarmac path through adjacent graveyard.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Roughcast render with stepped quoins
Windows Square-headed openings (no windows remaining).
RWG None

Historical information

The bell tower first appears on the fourth edition OS map of 1938 in the grounds of St Dympna’s RC Church (HB11/03/001A) captioned ‘Bell-tower’.

In 1912 the value of land associated with the church rises from 5s to £1 and the following edition of the OS map (1938) shows that the bell-tower is built within this increased curtilage. It can therefore be dated to the same period as the porch and sacristy (the porch is dated 1917).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/50/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1938
2. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/16A – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Free-standing square-plan three-stage belfry, built c.1915, located to the south side of St Dympna’s Road, Dromore. Largely intact in terms of massing and proportion this building is part of a group, though not contemporary, with the adjacent St. Dympna’s RC church (HB11/03/001A) and former primary school (HB11/03/001B). However, it is of a late date and not one of the best examples of the type.