Sexton’s House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey (+ attic)/ two bay Arts and Craft style house on east side of Newry Street, at south-east corner of grounds of Christ Church (HB16/03/007A).

Pitched natural slate roof, with raised and coped left verge, cast-iron skylight on rear pitch and half round rainwater goods. Walls are of ashlar granite throughout.

The street front has an open doorway in left corner, providing access to open sided porch. It has a Tudor arch head formed by two granite pieces, and contains a wrought iron pedestrian gate. The door to house, at far end of porch, has a t+g sheeted door with nine glazed lights. Right cheek of porch is lined rendered and blank. Left cheek has an arched opening to churchyard (for description, see left gable).

To right of porch are three grouped rectangular 2x4 paned steel casements at ground floor, each separated by a mullion, but sharing a common head and cill. There are similar to first floor centre, but these are 2x3 paned. All have swept stooled granite cills.

Right gable abuts an adjacent building into which the chimney of this property ties.

Left gable faces towards churchyard. Its wall is as façade and to left it continues as return and yard walls (both blank). It has a Tudor headed doorway at ground floor right leading into front porch. Its head is formed by four pieces of ashlar granite. To first floor are three 2x3 paned steel casements (as façade) and to attic are a pair of similar windows.

Rear elevation is lined rendered and abutted to right by a lower two-storey return. Remaining wall to left has a modern top-hung painted timber window to ground and to first floor. Return has a pitched natural slate roof with raised granite coped verge. A single storey lean-to shed abuts its rear wall and wall above blank. Its left cheek has a sheeted timber door to ground floor left and a double-glazed plastic window to right. At first floor is a pair of small steel casements. Rear yard wall is as front wall and contains a sheeted timber door.

Historical information

This house is a rebuild of 1928, on the site of an existing house (possibly belonging to the sexton as well). The church accounts 1926-7 refer to a payment of £20 part fee to Blackwood and Jury (Belfast) for architectural services, as this is the only architectural undertaking of the period, it can be assumed they are the architects. The valuation increases in 1928 from £2 to £5.10s.0d.

Primary sources:
1. PRONI – VAL 1D/3/11
2. PRONI- OS 8/15/1/3
3. PRONI - VAL 2B/3/81H
4. PRONI - VAL 12B/19/14h, p.14.
5. Lydia Annett (Church historian).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A small and attractive building executed in a very austere arts and crafts style, more Scottish in character, than Irish, with small openings and with high quality finish.