Mountfield Parish Church (C of I)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached single-cell, Board of First Fruits Church of Ireland church, built c.1828, funded by the Board of First Fruits, located to the south side of Inisclan Road. Church consists of rectangular nave with square tower containing entrance porch, built c.1860, to west; single-storey gabled vestry to north.

Roofs are pitched natural slate with deep overhanging eaves; concrete ridge tiles; timber bargeboards. Walls are coursed rubble with sandstone quoins over sandstone plinth. Windows are gothic containing leaded stained glass in stepped surrounds; sandstone sills.

Principal elevation faces south and consists of two window wide nave, abutted at left by tower.

West gable is blank; abutted at centre by two-stage tower containing, at first stage, window with hood moulding; gothic double-leaf vertically sheeted entrance doors in chamfered stepped sandstone surround with hood moulding to south; second (bell) stage delineated by platband; gothic louvred opening with hood moulding to each elevation except the east; octagonal stone spire over cavetto moulded base.

North elevation contains window to left and right; abutted at centre by vestry containing single window; gothic vertically sheeted timber entrance door to west.

East elevation contains single intersecting tracery timber framed window containing leaded stained glass.

Setting

Set in modern churchyard (c.2000) on elevated site overlooking Mountfield, bounded to south and east by recent wire fencing. Site bounded to road at north by rubble walling with rubble coping, accessed through rendered square gate pillars supporting pair of cast-iron gates.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Stone
Windows: Stained glass
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The building is shown in its current form on the first edition OS map of 1833.

It is recorded in the Townland Valuation as ‘Church’, and valued at £5.12s.
Griffith’s Valuation records the lessor as Sir Beresford B Mc Mahon and the building is valued at £6.

The OS Memoirs (1821 to 1836) describe Mountfield as ‘…a small village…it has been completely rebuilt in the last six or seven years. The Church which was built in the year 1828 is the only public building in the surrounding country. Its arch is of the plainest description. It cost 900 pounds which was granted by the Board of First Fruits’. (pg 15).

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/27/1-First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/6/27/2-Second Edition OS Map (1854)
3. PRONI OS/6/6/27/3-Third Edition OS Map (1905-6)
4. PRONI VAL/1/B/645A –Townland Valuation (1820-1840)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/47A -Griffith’s Valuation (1858)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/31A-F -Valuation Revisions (1860-1923)
7. PRONI OS Memoirs-Vol 5 (1821, 1823, 1831-36)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A detached single-cell Church of Ireland church, built c.1828, funded by the Board of First Fruits. This simple church displays a restrained style and is enhanced by the later tower, which is unusually detailed. All of its original features survive and its setting, overlooking Mountfield, is of note. It is a good and intact example of a small rural church and its association with the Board of First Fruits adds to its interest.