St John's RC Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, much altered early 19thC symmetrical T-plan church in a graveyard on W-side of Rathfriland Road. The head of the ‘T’ faces E onto the road and is aligned N-S.

T-plan pitched natural slate roof laid in diminishing courses, with occasional raised ridge vent. Its three gables (to N, S, and W) are raised, with concrete copings, moulded kneelers, and cross finials. Two-stage advanced render eaves course supports half round metal rainwater goods. Walls are cement wet dashed and painted; smooth chamfered and painted base course and stepped random width stucco V-jointed quoins.

Principal elevation faces E and is four windows wide. All are stained glass and round-headed with an irregular quoined architrave (as main corners) and Gothic hood mould which breaks the lowest stage of the eaves course.

Left (S) and right (N) gables are blank. Both have a broad platband crossing at eaves level and each is abutted by an identical gabled porch. Each porch has pitched natural slate roof, raised and concrete coped gable, kneelers and walls as main church. Each has a pair of modern doors on its E cheek. Doors are varnished and each leaf has four raised and fielded panels; granite step. The gables have a single window as those to church (but without architrave) and with concrete cill. The W cheek of each porch is blank.

Rear (W) elevation of main block has a single window to either end, as those to the façade. It is abutted to centre by the rest of the church (called the return for ease of description). On either side, where the return meets the main block is small lean-to. That to S side is a modern boiler house with a mono pitched natural slate roof, walls as main block and a pair of modern louvered doors on its W face. That to N is the sacristy. It is post-war and of similar construction, with a stained glass window to its N face and a small dashed chimney. The main return (tail of T) has a single window to centre of its N and S elevations as those to main elevation. Its W gable is identical to gables of main block, with a projecting porch which has a pair of modern four panel doors on each of its cheeks and a plain single window on its gable (concrete cill).

Setting

To front and rear is a graveyard. The front yard is enclosed by a rubble stone wall with roughly dressed embattled granite copings and a pair of plain wrought-iron gates. Church is accessed by two paths, each leading to a gable end porch. Graveyard contains an assortment of memorials dating from 1820-30s, mainly in granite or slate. Some memorials to rear have been moved to the W and N boundaries.

Historical information

Shown as a T-plan building on the 1833 OS 6” map. Probably erected in 1820s.

Primary sources:

1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1833) Co Down sheet 48 (PRONI OS 6/3/48/1)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This building with its attractive setting dates back to the 1820s. It has an unusual plan form and roof structure with a single cast-iron post supporting the crossing over the altar. Heavy original slates are laid in diminishing courses.