Christ Church (C of I) Parish Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mildly picturesque, rubble-built, single storey gothic church of 1870, by Sir Thomas Drew, with tall prominent four storey tower, apsidal sanctuary, side aisle and projecting porch and vestry. The walls are finished in rock-faced random dark fieldstone rubble and have a battered base, with the openings sandstone dressed and the windows connected with a double string course of Dumfriesshire red sandstone The church is situated on the E side of the Church Road one mile SW of Crossgar.

To the left side of the S façade of the nave is a small gabled porch. To the S facing (gabled) front of the porch there is a central diagonally sheeted front door which is set within a gothic arched opening with moulded archivolt which is supported on ¾ pilasters with floral capitols. The S face is flanked by unusual‘batttered’ butresses. The W face of the porch has three small gothic arched window openings. The E face of the porch is blank. ( A simple disabled access ramp and rail has been added since this survey circa 2003)

To the right of the porch (on nave) are a pair of lancet windows with lattice metal window frames. To the right is a further single window and to the right of this is a further paired lancet arrangement. All the windows have sandstone dressings and two Dumfriesshire sandstone string courses span between them.

To the far right is a tall (four storey) square tower with a battered base. To the S ground floor face is a gothic arch headed window as before. High up on the second floor is a small ‘arrow slot window to each face. To each face at third floor level is a paired lancet surmounted by a cusped rose opening all set with in a semicircular-headed recess. At the springinging point of the arch is a projecting stone stringcourse. To either side of the arch is a recessed circular decorative motif. The squat stone broach spire is in sandstone and has a small decorative stone ‘gablette’ feature to each face. The spire is surmounted by a metal finial.

The E elevation is largely taken up with the battered apsidal sanctuary. To the left side, at the junction of the tower and the E wall is a small curved porch with a ¼ cone shaped roof. There are three evenly spaced arch headed window openings to the sanctuary itself each with a trefoil over a gothic arch headed opening with cusps.

To the left side of the N elevation is a gabled projection. This houses the vestry and a rear porch both of which are set over a basement boiler room. To the N gable is a tall lancet window and to the right of this is a stainless steel flue. The E face is blank while the W face there is a door opening to the right and a window opening to the left. Both openings are square headed and have sand stone dressings. Between the junction of the E face of the projection and the N side of the curved end of the sanctuary is a tall battered chimney stack. This is no longer used. To the right of the projection are three sets of paired lancet windows, all as before.

The W (gabled) elevation has a quatrefoil window over a paired lancet arrangement.

The roof is slated. Cast iron rw goods.

The Drive to the church is fronted by a curving gate screen with decorative (late Victorian looking) iron gates, matching curving railings and simple painted pillars with panels and pyramidal caps.

Historical information

The church was built between 1868 and 1870 to designs by (Sir) Thomas Drew. It replaced an earlier parish church of 1792, which stood to a short distance to the west (and has been reconstructed at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum). The new church was the last of its kind to be constructed before Disestablishment became law in January 1870. Drew originally intended that the building itself should have a much smaller tower, but his design was altered during construction.

References- Primary sources
1 Representative Church Body Plans and drawings showing Thomas Drew’s original designs for Christ Church, Kilmore
2 PRONI OS/6/3/30/1 OS map, Down sh 30, c.1901

Secondary sources
1 C.E.B. Brett ‘Historic buildings…East Down’ (Belfast 1973), p.51

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Mildly picturesque, rubble-built, single storey gothic church of 1870, by Sir Thomas Drew, with tall prominent four storey tower, apsidal sanctuary, side aisle and projecting porch and vestry. The walls are finished in rock-faced random dark fieldstone rubble and have a battered base, with beige sandstone dressed openings. The windows are connected with a double string course of Dumfriesshire red sandstone. A prominent landmark in the flat surrounding countryside, the building is of special interest for its design, proportion, internal detail, surviving plan form, roof construction and social function within this community. Its elongated tower is unusual and of note.