Kilcoo C of I Parish Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Simple, single storey gothic C of I parish church, originally built in 1712, but with three storey tower added in 1812, and small nave extension, sanctuary and vestry of 1833 and 1841. The building is picturesquely set at the head of a long lane, on a slight rise to the N of Bryansford Village.

The three storey tower is set to the W side. The main entrance door is to the S face of the tower. It is timber sheeted and is set within a painted stone dressed, pointed arch opening. Above the door is a small, slate plaque, with hood moulding, bearing the inscription ‘Lord I have loved the Habitation of thy House and the Place where thine HONOUR dwelleth. A.D. 1812 Psalm 26’, which presumably refers to the construction of the tower. To the W ground floor is a timber framed ‘Y’ tracery window. To the N is a similar window opening which is set a slightly higher level and which has small diamond panes (?set in a metal frame) rather than the more recent looking large plain panes. The ground floor has moulded in/out quoins and between ground and first floors is a projecting string course.

The first floor is faced with ashlar coursed granite. To the S, W and N faces is a small, mullioned, tripartite window with granite dressings, sill and hood drip stone. The E face is mainly obscured by the abutting gable but is otherwise blank. Between the first floor and second floor is a projecting string course.

The second floor is finished with lined render with ‘equal’ stone quoins. To each of the four faces is a ‘Y’ tracery gothic window frame with louvers (ventilating the belfry). Each window has a hood moulding.

The tower is finished with elaborate pinnacles and formal castellations.

The W (gabled) face of the nave is mainly obscured by the centrally placed tower. The visible ‘cheeks’ are blank.

The N face of the nave has two, metal framed, ‘Y’ tracery windows. That to the left has centrally placed ventilation hoppers. To the far left of the façade is the small lean-to vestry projection. The W face of this is blank while the N face has a plain timber door to the right and a small pointed arch window with mainly diamond panes to the left. The E face of the projection has a plain door opening to the right side. The roof of the projection has the same pitch as the main roof but is set at a lower level.

The E face is gabled and has one central (tripartite) intersecting tracery window.

To the far right side of the S face a short blank section and to the left of this is a lean-to projection (built in 1833 as a private pew for the Earl of Roden and family), the roof of which continues the plane of the main roof. The E face is blank while the S face has two equally spaced pointed arch headed windows with small diamond panes. The N face has a timber door with diagonal sheeting and decorative strap hinges set within a (painted) stone dressed, pointed arch headed opening. To the left of the projection are two ‘Y’ tracery windows with diamond panes and ventilation hoppers to that to the right.

The main body of the church is finished in lined render and has shallow parapets to the main roof gables. Cast iron rw goods and Bangor blue slates. To the right side of the S lean-to extension is simple but tall chimney stack which is finished in granite.

The church is set within its own grounds and has a small cemetery section to the rear of the church. Directly behind the rear gable is the Roden crypt.. The steps down into the crypt are hidden from view by concrete planks which are covered by gravel, the effect of which is to completely disguise the crypt’s existence.

Historical information

This church was built in 1712 by Ann Hamilton, the wife of James Hamilton of Tollymore, who had inherited Bryansford and various townlands in this area from his mother, Ellen Magennis. Ann took over the running of her husband’s estate after his death in 1700 and constructed this building chapel of ease for farmers, tenants and estate workers. The church is indicated on James Kennedy’s map of 1755 and that by Taylor & Skinner of 1777.

The tower was added and the windows enlarged in 1812, by James and Anne’s descendant, the 2nd Earl of Roden. The 16th century glass panels were added at this time also as was the small gallery, the work partly paid for by the Board of First Fruits. The gallery which, though considered ‘unsafe’ in 1830, survived until 1924. In 1833 the sanctuary and the Lord Roden ‘Pew’ were added, with the vestry following in 1841.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI MIC.147 Roden Papers (see also D.465, D.2647, T.2647, T.3438).
2 PRONI MIC.1/55, MIC.583/5, DIO.1/14/10 Records of Kilcoo Parish church (Bryansford), 1750-1932
3 Map of Co Down by James Kennedy M.D. (1755) [reprinted in ‘Kilcoo Parish Church, Bryansford’ (Newcastle, Mourne Observer Press, 1971)- original in PRONI]
4 ‘Taylor’s and Skinner’s Maps of the roads of Ireland’ (Dublin 1777), map 8
5 PRONI OS/1/3/43 OS maps 1st ed. 1834, Co Down sheet 43
6 PRONI OS/6/3/43/3 OS maps 1st rev.1859, Co Down sheet 43

Secondary sources
1 ‘Kilcoo Parish Church, Bryansford’ (Newcastle, Mourne Observer Press, 1971)
2 P.J. Rankin, 'Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the Mourne area of South Down', (Belfast UAHS 1975), pp.7-8

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Simple, single storey gothic C of I parish church, originally built in 1712, but with three storey tower added in 1812, small nave extension and sanctuary in 1833, and vestry in 1841. Four of the windows contain small, possibly 16th century, roundels, believed to be in the style of Dutch artist Martin Van Heemskerck (1498-1574).