St Luke's C of I Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A mid C19th Gothic style barn church aligned NW-SE and set in a churchyard on the east side of Drumintee Rd.

Roof is pitched natural slate (in very poor condition) with granite skews to each gable. To NW gable is a bellcote of finely dressed granite ashlar with chamfered openings. It is supported on a pillow moulded corbel and topped by a moulded cornice and tapered octagonal finial. To SE gable is a two-staged raised granite gable apex with pitched copings. An advanced ashlar eaves course supports the remains of half-round metal rainwater goods.

Walls are wet-dashed rubble over a chamfered granite base course. All door and window openings have two centred-heads and finely dressed, splayed jambs and hooded drip mould, all in granite. All openings are now sheeted over.

NW gable of nave is abutted to centre by a large castellated entrance porch. The exposed right and left sections each have a tall narrow lancet.

The entrance door (NW face) of porch is accessed by a single rounded step. The porch is flanked by two-stage granite buttresses (with moulded cornices between stages). The lower stage is square in section; the upper stage is octagonal in section and is narrower. They are surmounted by tapered octagonal finials rising above parapet level. Left and right cheeks each have a lancet window opening. At each angle of join with nave is a single stage buttress with stepped copings.

The NW gable of nave is flanked by buttresses detailed as those to porch.

SW and NE elevations of nave are identical and each has three lancets with square metal ventilation grille under each one.

Abutting SE gable is the Chancel. Exposed sections are blank.

The chancel roof is pitched natural slate, detailed as main church. Skews and extended advanced eaves course form a plain open pediment to gable apex. Below are three lancets (grouped together) with cusped inset heads. That to centre is taller. They are set in a reveal similar to others but with stepped jambs. Left and right cheeks are each abutted by a lower lean-to, each with the remains of a natural slate roof. Left lean-to has a window with squat two-centred head in left cheek. Right lean-to has only one opening - a door in right cheek. Left cheek of left lean-to and right cheek of right lean-to are flush with sides of nave.

Churchyard:

Contains a number of 19thC memorials. Most are enclosed by wrought iron railings on rubble stone plinth walls.
A partially collapsed square rubble granite burial vault with finely dressed advanced granite copings is situated at north end. A slate memorial panel to its W face reads ‘Sacred to the memory of / the members of the / FOXHALL FAMILY / of Killeavy Castle’.
Churchyard contains a number of yew trees. Wrought iron gates to road hung from single piece, square sectioned, finely dressed granite pillars. Random rubble wall to road.

Historical information

Erected in 1831 and shown on the 1835 OS map and subsequent editions. Described in the 1837 Ordnance Survey Memoir as "a small and neat building without a spire. It is built of granite, a good deal of which is hewn. It measures 60ft by 30, and is capable of accommodating about 200"; it cost £1200 to erect. Closed in late 1960s. An HMMB slide of the Church dated September 1989 shows the church to have had Y-tracery windows, all leaded and quarry glazed.

Primary sources:
1. First edition OS 6" map, Co Armagh sheet 29, 1835 (PRONI - OS 6/2/29/1).
2. Ordnance Survey Memoir, Killevy Parish.
3. HMMB 1st survey slide dated September 1989.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A derelict C19th Gothic Style church with a fine castellated porch, tall finials and bellcote. Set within an attractive churchyard containing enclosed 19thC memorials and a burial vault of the Foxhall Family.