Spa Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively simple, two storey gothic style Presbyterian church of 1872, in rubble and sandstone, with restrained decoration and bellcote to front gable and a small early 20th century hipped roof extension to the rear. The building is set in a wedge of ground between the converging southern ends of the Spa and Ballymaglave Roads, at the centre of the small hamlet of The Spa, c.2 miles S of Ballynahinch.

The SW front is symmetrical. The centred timber panelled front door is set within stone dressed gothic arched opening with a trefoil like fanlight which is finished with leaded panes. Above the door is a large decorative ‘dripstone moulding’ formed as a tall gable with crocket motifs. Three stone steps rise to the door and have a wrought iron handrail to either side each set at 45 degrees.

Either side of the door are paired lancet windows with lattice leaded panes. The central mullion is a short circular column pilaster with base and capital. Directly above the door is a large arch headed recess with four lancet windows with semicircular heads with cusps. To the centre of the tympanum panel is a decorative feature with carved overlapping letters (?O.R.) to the middle. This is surrounded with ‘A.D. 1872’. To either side are ?oak leaf motifs. The keystone topping the recessed arch is carved and has a floral base and a triangular cap. The main gable is surmounted by a gabled stone bellcote feature with double gothic arched lancet openings. The bells have been removed.

The NW façade has a gothic arch headed sheeted timber door with wrought iron strap hinges set within a stone dressing with carved head features set at the springing points of the arches. To the left is a single gothic arch headed window with leaded lattice panes and stone dressings. To the left of this is a pair of similar gothic arch headed windows. To the left again is a pair of similar but taller windows which are centred on a projecting gable feature. The bay projects c.200mm and has a trefoil feature close to the apex. To the far left is a single arch headed window as before. The windows either side of the bay sit on a stone cill course and just below the springing point of the arch is a second string course. The corners (including those to the projecting bay all have in / out dressings. The SE façade is a handed version of that to the NW.

Centred on the NE rear gable is a symmetrical three bay ‘lean-to’ hipped roof extension of perhaps c.1935 in blue engineering-like brick. This extension has a slight Domestic Revival / Arts & Crafts air, having an overhanging roof with exposed rafter ends and mullioned lattice windows. To the centre of the extension is a projecting bay which sits slightly higher than the flanking bays. To the left side of the bay roof is a tall chimney stack. The bay has four mullioned windows with lattice panes and red brick dressings. Either side of the bay is a smaller hipped roof section with two mullioned windows detailed as before. To the left side steps lead down to a basement which houses the boiler. The main NE gable beyond the extension is blank.

The walls are constructed in rock face squared rubble blocks with beige sandstone dressings. The bellcote is formed is sandstone also. The roof is covered in natural slate with two contrasting green [?Westmoreland] slate bands.

The grounds are enclosed on three sides with wrought iron railings. The double gates to the SW side are supported on decorative prefabricated cast iron gate posts. The manse sits immediately to the NE facing onto the Spa Road.

Historical information

This church was built in 1872. The extension does not appear to have been present prior to 1931, (the OS map of that year shows what appears to an earlier projection), but, judging from its style, may have been added soon after this date.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/29/5 OS map, Down sh 29, 1931

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Relatively simple two storey gothic style Presbyterian church of 1872, in rubble and sandstone, with restrained decoration and bellcote to front gable and a small c.1930s hipped roof extension to the rear.