St Luke's Church of Ireland Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A church in Gothic style comprising a nave and transepts, with a western tower. Main entrance faces north.

North elevation: 3-bay nave gable with a slightly projecting central bay rising to a 3-stage tower. Walls of coursed limestone with projecting plinth, moulded cornice, and slightly projecting stop chamfered pilasters to extremities. Central bay has slightly projecting pilasters to each side containing narrow arch-headed blind slits at each stage. Outer bays each contain a Gothic arched 2-light lancet window with lozenge glazing in iron glazing bars, set in raised chamfered surrounds with projecting cills, surmounted by Gothic arched drip moulds.
Central entrance bay contains a Gothic arched doorway with a pair of panelled timber doors surmounted by a small-paned traceried fanlight all set in a concave-moulded Gothic arch; doorway approached by two stone steps. Above doorway is a scrolling iron lamp bracket, and above that an inscribed stone set below a moulded label; inscription reads 'this church was built AD 1795 Revd William Bisset Rector, Robert Cope Esqr, James Stothers, Church Wardens'. The second stage of the tower contains a circular clock face set in a raised chamfered circular surround surmounted by a moulded label.
Top of second stage of tower marked by a plain platband.
Third stage of tower contains a Gothic arched opening, with 2-light timber louvers set in a raised rusticated surround surmounted by a moulded label. Top of third stage of tower marked by a moulded cornice surmounted by crenellations with a raised block to each side each carrying a stone pinnacle and bearing a sunken quatrefoil panel.

East elevation comprises a 2-bay nave with a gabled transept projecting to the left and a tower end-bay to the right.
Nave has roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; walls rendered with wet dash, with slightly projecting plinth; projecting plain stone eaves course; moulded cast iron gutter with circular cast iron downpipe; limestone quoins to right-hand extremity of nave wall.
Windows are Gothic arched, 3-light with intersecting tracery and lozenge shaped glazing, set in limestone dressings with projecting cills.
Set back slightly from the main nave wall is the wall of the end bay, rendered as to nave, with moulded cornice and slightly projecting pilaster to right-hand extremity.
Set back above is the side of the tower in two stages divided by a plain platband. Walling of tower is rendered, wet dash, with slightly raised ashlar limestone pilasters to extremities; narrow blind slits decorate pilasters as previous to entrance front. Top stage contains a Gothic arched opening with louvers, as previous, with pinnacled and crenellated parapet to apex as previous.
The rear face of the tower is of similar design except no quatrefoils to blocking stones of parapet.

Projecting transept to left-hand end of nave: roof slated as to nave; walls of snecked limestone with sandstone quoins to extremities; slightly projecting plinth with battered face. Moulded metal gutters with pvc downpipes to each side wall of transept. Gable transept contains a Gothic arched 3-light traceried window in dressed sandstone with lozenge glazing. In apex of gable is a small quatrefoil opening in sandstone.
Each side wall of transept contains a Gothic arched plate-traceried 2-light window in sandstone, with deep splayed cill: lozenge glazing to window in north side; stained glass with storm glazing to south side.

South elevation comprises a central chancel gable flanked each side by a transept side wall. All walling as previous to east transept. Chancel gable has weathered buttresses to extremities, with battered bases. Chancel gable contains a Gothic arched 3-light traceried window in sandstone, with stained glass and storm glazing; above it is a relieving arch, and above that, in apex, is a small quatrefoil opening.
South side of west transept is similar to previous east transept; metal gutter with pvc downpipe.

East elevation of church is similar to west except there is a rectangular ledged timber door in the plinth of the transept gable, set in stop chamfered sandstone surround; and there is a cast iron soil pipe in the angle between nave and tower bay.

SETTING: The church stands facing the main road, set back slightly from it within its own grounds. Front boundary formed by a rubble stone wall containing a gateway (HB15/02/024B). From gateway there is a tarmac path leading to main entrance of church, flanked each side by gravelled areas containing a yew tree to each side; grassed areas to sides of church and to rear, divided by gravel paths which surround the church.
To the east is a side gateway comprising a pair of hooped iron gates between square limestone piers.

Historical information

Built in 1795, with gallery inserted in 1822: architect unidentified in each case. Chancel and transepts added in 1863-6, supervised by W.J. Barre, architect, and church reconsecrated and dedicated to St Luke on 26 October 1866.

References – Primary Sources
1. Original inscription on tower.
2. OS Map 1834, Co Armagh 8.

Secondary Sources
1. Sir C. Coote, A statistical survey of the county of Armagh (Dublin, 1804), p 347 – "a fine new church has been lately built".
2. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Vol I: Parishes of County Armagh, 1835-8 (Belfast, 1990), pp 76, 79, 80.
3. S. Lewis, A topographical dictionary of Ireland, Vol II (London, 1837), p 313.
4. J.B. Leslie, Armagh Clergy and Parishes (Dundalk, 1911), p 352.
5. DOENI, Loughgall: A Conservation Village (Belfast, 1993), pp 4, 28.
6. P. Reilly, Loughgall: a Plantation parish (Armagh, 1995).
7. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Armagh (Belfast, 1999), p 35.

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

This is a late Georgian church in a simple Gothic style, with Victorian additions to the rear, which retains most of its original features and forms an attractive landmark at one end of the main street of the village.