Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical double-height early nineteenth century Reformed Presbyterian church, located on an elevated site to the south end of Loughbrickland village. Rectangular on plan.

Hipped natural slate roof, with blue/black angled ridge and hip tiles. No chimneystacks. Cast iron rainwater goods over projecting rendered eaves. Walling is rendered and painted with painted granite quoins. No plinth. Windows are replacement round-arched hardwood casements, painted granite sills. Entrance doors are replacement six panelled hardwood.

Principal elevation faces north-west and is symmetrically arranged three-windows wide about central entrance contained within a painted stone doorcase with pilasters supporting an entablature with blocking course.

North east and south-east elevations are each three windows wide.

Rear elevation is two-windows wide; small lean-to boiler house to far left.

Setting:
The church is set on an elevated V-shaped site overlooking the village, at a Y-junction between Main Street and the Dublin Road. The site is bounded by a random rubble stone retaining wall with stone soldier coping, and accessed at north east point via a pair of double cast-iron gates with cast-iron arch over, having a frame flanked by curlicues (empty). All supported on a pair of finely dressed square-section granite piers each with recessed panel to front and having moulded cornice and shallow diamond pointed caps. Tarmacadamed drive to church flanked by yew trees; grassed banks to either side.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Render
Windows: Replacement timber
RWG: Cast iron

Historical information

Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian Church dates from 1835 and is first shown on the second edition OS map of 1859, captioned ‘Presbyterian Meeting Ho[use]’.

The Reformed Presbyterian church in Ireland originated from a dispute around the Revolution settlement of 1690. A minority of Ulster Presbyterians objected to the settlement as disregarding earlier covenants with the English parliament ‘to work for the reformation of religion in the three kingdoms’ and the absence of recognition of the kingship of Christ. The ‘Covenanters’ as they came to be known stood apart from the Presbyterian church and began to hold separate meetings. Until 1757 they were dependant on the visits of ministers from Scotland but 1763 a Reformed Presbytery was formed and in 1811 a Synod. Today there are 37 congregations, the vast majority in Northern Ireland, following the settlement patterns of the original Scots plantations in Antrim, Londonderry and Down. (www.rpc.org)

The first meeting of synod in 1811 listed a Reformed Presbyterian congregation at Drummillar near Scarva, but at this time there was no congregation in Loughbrickland. The present congregation was formed when the existing Original Secession Church in Loughbrickland joined the Reformed Presbyterians in the 1830s. The Scarva and Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian congregations then became united. (www.loughbrickland.org) In 1839, the congregation’s first minister was ordained, the Rev Samuel Simms. Rev Simms served the congregation for many years, until his retirement in 1871 and is buried behind the meeting house.

The present building is dated to 1829 by the Archaeological Survey of County Down. However, this does not accord with the primary evidence, including a newspaper report of 1835 which states that the foundation stone of the church was laid on 29th June of that year. The building was commenced in the ‘presence of a large and respectable meeting’ which included Rev Mr Downes of Boardmills and Rev Mr Patterson of Grallagh. The foundation stone was laid by James M Reilly of Scarva House and note was taken of the site, said to be ‘of uncommon beauty’ and the design of the church building, in which ‘every attention will be paid to taste, accommodation and ecnomy, under the blessing of God, and the patronage of the Christian public’.

OS Memoirs compiled by JR Ward c.1837 describe the ‘Scots Seceding’ meeting house as ‘at present building’. “It is a whinstone building corniced with granite...The cost of the building when finished will be 800 pounds, which sum was raised by public subscription. Lord Downshire, with his usual liberality, gave 40 pounds and ground free of rent.”

The ‘Reformed Presbyterian Meeting House’ is listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) at £18. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) describes the building as a Presbyterian Church, Sexton’s House and yard, with buildings valued at £22. Dimensions are given for a single-storey meeting house of 15 yards by 20½ yards. There are no further changes in Annual Revisions.

The interior of the church was stripped c.2000 and the roof replaced, following deterioration of the fabric of the building. All internal fittings were removed as was the floor and all internal wall plaster due to fungal attack and dampness. New free-standing pews were installed and new front doors, with the entrance lobby rearranged and stairs moved to provide a minister’s room and crèche. This rearrangement also created an expanded gallery area on the first floor. An existing window to the front facade was altered to provide an emergency escape and new fire escapes pierced through the walls at the rear end of the church. The basement was filled in and a new boiler house extension added to the rear. (HB file)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/34/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/34/2 Second Edition OS map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/34/3 Third Edition OS Map 1902-3
4. PRONI OS/6/3/34/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/351 Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/55B Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/18A-E Annual Revisions (1864-1930)
8. Belfast Newsletter 7th July 1835
9. NIEA file HB17/03/005

Secondary Sources

1. Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Down III, 1833-8, Vol. 12.” Belfast: Institute of
Irish Studies, 1992.
2. Ministry of Finance, Government of Northern Ireland “An Archaeological Survey of County Down” Belfast: Her Majesty’s
Stationery Office, 1966
3. www.loughbrickland.org
4. www.rpc.org

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian Church is an early nineteenth century church. Although the church retains its original simplicity of proportion and style, defined by lack of ornamentation, recent refurbishments have stripped it of its historic character and interest. The loss of most historic fabric and fittings, has significantly degraded its historic integrity. Its location and the survival of original gates and gate piers are of some note and it remains of local historic interest.