St John's C of I Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A simple mid 18th C church with three stage tower to west end, prominently situated in a small churchyard on south side of Main Street in the centre of Hilltown. It is aligned roughly W-E.

Pitched natural slate roof with raised granite skews. East gable has a small chimney pot to its apex. Modern metal cyma-recta gutters on a projecting cushion moulded ashlar granite eaves course. Painted cast iron down pipes.

Walls are lined render (over rubble granite?) with ashlar granite detailing. Chamfered plinth to N, E and W elevations, which advances slightly below stepped quoins on N, E and W elevations.

Elevations are described from north wall in a clockwise direction.

North wall of nave has four semicircular headed windows; each has an ashlar granite surround with an advanced keystone and stooled cill. All window frames are cast iron, in two panels, with plainly glazed diamond quarrels, with a red margin to all sides. The bottom section of each window has a small rectangular inset with a sloping glazed back panel and similar glazed cheeks. This inset has a hinged, glazed lid which opens (on a string with pulley to window head) to ventilate the church.

East elevation is abutted at centre by a narrow half-hipped Sanctuary and at left by an L-shaped Vestry that wraps around to south elevation. Remaining wall to right and gable is rendered and blank, broken only by the moulded eaves course of the north elevation, which continues across the gable to meet the sanctuary.

Sanctuary has half hipped natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and overhanging eaves. Rainwater goods and walls are as main church. Filling its east wall is a Venetian window with raised ashlar granite surrounds and mullions with projecting keystone to its central (semicircular headed) window. It has windows as the north wall of nave, but without ventilators, and inset with coloured glass quarrels. Abutting flush, to left of this elevation is the Sacristy (Rector’s room). Right cheek of Sanctuary is blank and left cheek is abutted in part by Vestry, the remainder of its wall is blank.

Front wall of Sacristy is flush with E wall of Sanctuary, and it advances south beyond the south elevation of the nave. It is late 19thC in date and has an Arts and Crafts feel. Its roof is steeply hipped and natural slated aligned N-S with ridge at eaves level of Sanctuary. Gutters as main block. Walls are squared granite rubble brought to courses with ashlar granite dressings. Its east wall has a small semicircular headed window (details as other windows) with chamfered reveal and cill. To its right three granite steps lead to a similarly dressed doorway with t & g sheeted painted door, which has decorative strap hinges and cottage latch.

South elevation of Vestry, is advanced west to obscure part of the south wall of the nave. It has a single window (as that to previous elevation) set to centre. The west cheek of the sacristy is completely abutted by a single storey cement rendered (over red brick) outhouse with pitched natural slate roof and gutters as church. Its eaves meet the cill of the right window on the south elevation of the nave.

South elevation of nave is same as N elevation except the windows have plain rendered (rather than granite) surrounds and plainer (not stooled) granite cills.

West gable of church is blank but for the eaves cornice of the nave walls which across it. It is abutted to centre by the three-stage tower, which has lined render walls with granite dressings. Its north face contains the front door. Four granite slabs form the threshold with wrought iron bootscrapers to left and right. The large, tall t+g sheeted door is painted and has decorative iron strap hinges and original ironmongery. Over it is a semicircular headed fanlight with diamond quarry panes and margin. Its door case is in dressed granite, as the nave windows, but with chamfered arris and advanced keystone. Its two lowest portions are executed in different granite showing this opening to have previously been a window.

Centred on the west elevation is the original doorway now infilled. It has an ashlar granite architrave on plinth blocks. The infill is lined rendered brickwork. South elevation of tower has an infilled (smooth render) window opening which is dressed as doorway on the north face of tower, and retains its cill.

The moulded eaves course from the main block wraps around the tower between the first and second stages. The east face of the second stage is only partially exposed above the church roof and is blank. Each remaining elevation has an infilled roundel. That to north is inset with a modern reproduction clock face. That to S is set to left of centre and is smaller than the western one, which is centred. Between second and third stages is an advanced granite stringcourse.

The third stage of the tower is the belfry; it is slightly instepped and taller than the two previous stages. Each of its four faces has a tall semicircular headed, ashlar dressed louvred opening with advanced keystone. Over is a deeply moulded cornice, which steps out slightly over the quoins. Over is a parapet wall with plain copings. Resting upon the copings at each corner is a pyramidal pinnacle in granite ashlar blocks. Roof drains into a cast iron down pipe, which runs down the S wall of tower.

Setting:

Church forms the focal point of this planned town, and terminates view from both Rostrevor Road and Rathfriland Road. Churchyard contains mainly 19th century memorials, in slate and granite. One of interest is related to Kinghill House (HB16/07/032) in slate with a dressed edge, “To the memory of James Newell Esq. / second son of the late George Newell / of Kinghill County Down Esq. / Who departed this life on the 16 November 1838 Aged 78.” Some family plots are rectangular and raised, their earth contained within 1m high granite retaining walls.

Churchyard is enclosed to W, E and N by a high granite stone wall with rounded coping. A similar N wall has been breached three times; the gaps have been infilled with plain modern railings. To the west end of this wall is a pair of strap pointed gate piers with pyramidal granite caps, supporting iron gates with spiked dog bars and knob headed top bars. The new railings, along with the modern clock on the tower, was undertaken as part of a 1990s environmental improvement scheme to the public car park which lies on north side of the church.

Historical information

Financed by the Earl of Hillsborough (later Lord Downshire) and completed in 1766 (Archaeological Survey erroneously says 1776). Shown on McClatchey’s map of 1767 as “new church”. The bell is inscribed ‘Thomas Rudhall Glocester Founder 1772’. Refurbished in 1830s at a cost of £220. The church is of significance in being the first building in Hilltown, a planned village developed in the later 1700s by the Earl.

Primary Sources:
1. James McClatchey and Son, ‘Map of a new road intended for the town of Eight Mile Bridge thro the town of Rostrevor’, 1767 (PRONI: D671/M7/2).
2. Ordnance Survey Memoir, Clonduff Parish, 1836.
3. HMBB survey card dated 1 Jan 1970.

Secondary Sources:
1. M. Jope (ed.), ‘Archaeological Survey of Co Down’ (Belfast, 1966), p.414.
2. P.J. Rankin, ‘Historic Buildings in Rathfriland and Hilltown’ (Belfast, 1979), p.20.

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

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

An attractive parish church with well-detailed tower situated on a prominent crossroads within the town and forming one of its most impressive architectural elements. Interior has some very fine Neo-classical timberwork.