Christ Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single cell Gothic style Church of Ireland church dated 1860; rectangular plan form with abutting porch and vestry. Located at the corner of a sharp bend in Church Road north of the Village Annaclone, opposite the listed former manse (HB17/08/007B).

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles; ogee moulded cast-iron rainwater goods supported on moulded masonry eaves brackets. Squared uncoursed masonry walling; battered base; tooled sandstone quoins. Sandstone coping, kneelers and moulded gable shoulders. Pointed-arched cast-iron lattice lights with margins; rubble voussoirs over; chamfered long-and-short jambs and cills. Pointed-arched timber sheeted door with studs and wrought-iron strap hinges, set into chamfered long-and-short sandstone surround.

The principal elevation faces south and is asymmetrically arranged having three equally spaced windows and gabled porch to the left; diminished in scale windows to either cheek; storage to the left via masonry steps accessing segmental arched diminutive door under the porch.

The left gable is symmetrically arranged comprising two tall lancet arched windows with a oculus centrally positioned in the gable head. The gable is surmounted by an ashlar bell-cote, with bell.

The north elevation is asymmetrically arranged. Three windows to the left. Single –storey lean-to vestry to the left comprising single diminished-in-scale windows to the front and left; right cheek comprises timber sheeted square-headed door with wrought-iron ironmongery, long-and-short sandstone surrounds with corbelled lintel.

The right gable is symmetrically arranged comprising a single tall lancet-arched window flanked by two slightly smaller windows. (All windows uPVC). Apex stone with gablets.

Setting

Sloping site in rural
setting; bounded to the east, south and west by hedgerows and wire fencing to the north. Pedestrian access to the north is via a wrought-iron gate with cast-iron piers. The vehicular access to the east is via wrought-iron gates with castings fixed to chamfer-stopped masonry rendered piers surmounted by moulded and pyramidal caps. Burial grounds within the site to the north and east. Terraced landscape to the south; masonry steps making up the change in level adjacent to the principal entrance. Yew-tree lined gravel driveway to the south.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: stone
Windows: metal
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Construction of Christ Church in the townland of Lisnasliggan began in 1859 and was completed by 1861 when the church was consecrated. It replaced a former church which was located in the nearby townland of Ardbrin that the Ordnance Survey Memoirs described as ‘a stone building, roughcast and whitewashed … 50-and-a-half feet long and 17 feet broad’ which was rebuilt in the year 1806 and could accommodate a congregation of 300 people. Within the parish of Annaclone, members of the Established Church formed only 1/25th of the population which was mostly made up of Presbyterians and Roman Catholics (who each made up roughly a half); as a result of this small population the average attendance of the church is Ardbrin was only 100. The Glebe House for the clergy of the church, located in Lisnasliggan, was a gift from the Marquis of Downshire and continued to be utilised as a Rectory until c. 1902 (see Annaclone House – HB17/08/007B) (Ordnance Survey Memoirs, pp 14-15; 17).

The original church was demolished c. 1859 and a new building erected in the townland of Lisnasliggan in 1859-61. The church was constructed to the south of the Glebe House and was depicted on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey map (1859) as a rectangular structure possessing two small entrance porches and simply captioned ‘Church.’ The layout of the church on the 1859 map matches that of the completed church whilst a datestone inscribed ‘1860’ suggests that Christ Church was opened for worship prior to 1861, although it was not consecrated until 7th November 1861. The contemporary Griffith’s Valuation of 1862 valued the church at £19 and this value was maintained by the end of the Annual Revisions in 1929.

Annaclone Parish dates from the medieval period when it was known as Annacloan. It is not known when the previous church in the townland of Ardbrin was constructed, however it was rebuilt in 1806 after falling into a state of disrepair; the graveyard at Ardbrin still exists, however there is no trace of the original church at that site. Demolition of the original church was undertaken by William Fullerton of Armagh; Fullerton (1805-1867) is thought to have worked for the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and all his known work were churches in south-east Ulster. Rankin believes that as Fullerton was employed to demolish the original church it is likely he was also the designer of Christ Church (Dictionary of Irish Architects; Rankin, p. 165).

In 1896 the current east window, as well as the porch and vestry room, were added. The last major change to the church took place in 1902 when the congregation was amalgamated with the Parish Church of Magherally (see HB 17/12/009); with the joining of the two congregations the Glebe House passed into private ownership c. 1902. Christ Church was listed in 1977, is still joined with Magherally Parish and continues to be used as a place of worship.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/34/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/34/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/34/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1902-03
4. PRONI OS/6/3/34/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1903-1918
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/56 – Griffith’s Valuation 1862
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/1A – Annual Revisions 1864-1874
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/1B – Annual Revisions 1875-1883
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/1C – Annual Revisions 1883-1897
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/1D – Annual Revisions 1898-1908
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/1E – Annual Revisions 1909-1929
11. Ordnance Survey Memoirs, Co. Down III, Vol. 12 (1834; 1837)
12. First Survey Record – HB17/08/007 (1970)

Secondary Sources

1. Rankin, F., ‘Clergy of Down and Dromore’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1996.

Online Resources

1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A single cell Gothic style Church of Ireland church dated 1860. The building has retained its simple character and style and the understated interior remains largely unaltered. Although no longer having any functional ties with the adjacent former rectory (HB17/08/007B), the group is stylistically coherent and provides historical context. Despite some inappropriate modifications, the church is a good example of a simple rural church in its original setting.

General comments

This record was previously known as HB17/08/007.