Holy Trinity Church (C of I)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A finely detailed T-plan Gothic church, ecclesiastically aligned with entrance porch to W gable. Church is set within a churchyard containing both 18thC and 19thC memorials and enclosed to road by wall.

Pitched natural slate roof with advanced stone eaves course and stone skews. Metal rainwater goods. W gable is raised beyond eaves level and is surmounted by a tall dressed stone bellcote with stepped buttresses, cusped finial and bell. Bell operates by a pull chain that enters the left pitch of the entrance porch roof.

Principal elevation faces W. Walls are cement dashed with dressed stone quoins, sandstone dressings to openings and buttresses to W gable only. W gable is abutted to centre by an entrance porch; the exposed section is blank. The buttresses rise above eaves level and are surmounted by a pointed finial with bulbous stops and rest on a stone plinth. At eaves level there is a stringcourse between each buttress.

The entrance porch is detailed as main block with similar buttresses and stringcourse. It has a central finial (as those to the buttresses). The W face has a lancet-headed window set within a chamfered reveal with cill and hood mould. Window is a cast-iron lattice containing three lancet panes, each margin-paned with a multi-foil roundel in spandrel – all are as this unless otherwise stated. The left cheek is blank and the right cheek contains the entrance door. It is set within a point-headed opening with chamfered reveal, which sweeps out to bottom. Door is modern t+g sheeted and accessed by a single stone step.

N and S elevations of nave each have a tall lancet window.

N and S transepts are identical and detailed as main block with stringcourse at eaves level and dressed stepped quoins. The W and E faces each have a window (containing only two panes with quatrefoil in spandrel). The end gables have a lancet-headed door (detailed as before) with small window over. Above the window on S transept is a louvred lancet opening with cill and chamfered reveal.

The rear E gable of the main block is slightly advanced from the transepts. It has a central window, detailed as before but leaded and coloured with external plastic protective glazing.

Setting
Churchyard is enclosed to road by a cement-dashed wall with pitched stone copings. A pair of square-in-section ashlar gate piers with pitched copings support a pair of cast-iron gates. It contains a number of 18thC and 19thC stone memorials, some of which have wrought-iron enclosures. One of interest is found to the S of the church and reads “HERE/ LY/ETH THE BODY/ OF THOMAS JO/ HNSTON WHO/ DEPARTED THIS/ LIFE JUNE Y/1754 AGED [?] YRS” on the opposite side of the memorial skull and cross bones, a lock, a coffin and a window have been engraved.

Historical information

Rowan states that erected 1828. Shown on the 1834 OS 6” map.

Primary sources:
1. OS map, 1st edition 1834, Co Fermanagh sheet 36.

Secondary sources:
1. A. Rowan, ‘North West Ulster’ (Harmondsworth 1979), p.479.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A finely detailed T-plan Gothic church with sandstone dressings and buttresses to W gable, set within churchyard containing 18thC and 19thC memorials.