Methodist Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, two storey Methodist church of 1928, mainly granite built and Gothic in form, with an eclectic front gable. The church is set back from the line of the terrace on the E side of Central Promenade and is somewhat crowded by its neighbours.

The front façade faces E and is in rock-faced coursed granite. To the left is a Tudoresque arched recess with a timber sheeted entrance door. The entrance is dressed in a concrete-like composite stone also used for all other dressings. Steps to entrance. To the right of the doorway is a broad Tudoresque arch headed window, with three light timber frame and stained glass to centre. Dressings and label moulding above.

Both the entrance and window are set within a bay which projects beyond the line of the main gable. Above the entrance the bay rises to form a two storey octagonal tower with a short octagonal splayed spire. The four faces of the tower visible from the E and NE each have a pointed arch three light window. The rear face is blank and the S and SE faces each have window-like recesses. To the right of the tower the rest of this front projecting bay is single storey and has a hipped roof. To the short N side of this portion of the bay there is a marble panel commemorating the centenary (1926) of Methodism in Newcastle.

The main front gable has a large pointed arch window with stained glass and dressings and label moulding over. The gable appears to rest on a corbel, has a step to the verge and flattened apex.

Because of the proximity of neighbouring buildings, the S façade is largely obscured from view. To its left side is a gabled transept projection which is partially rendered. As it was not possible to survey the interior, it is assumed that the arrangement of windows to this façade is as the S façade (see below).

The N façade has a gabled transept projection to the right whose rendered gable has a large pointed arch window with triple lancet timber frame and stained glass. The lower half of the gable appears to be abutted by a neighbouring building. The short W face of the transept is joined to a large modern flat roofed extension. The short E face is built of granite, as front, and has a pointed arch window with stained glass and dressings above as window to front gable. There are three similar windows to the S nave façade, left of the transept, also in granite. Buttresses between the windows.

The rear façade has a large central, gabled chancel projection. This has a high level window as N transept with a modern PVC door and window to ground level. To the left, this projection is abutted by a modern two storey flat roofed section, with modern windows and door linking to the S transept. To the right of the chancel is a small single storey lean-to section, also attached to the W face of the N transept. This lean-to has a modern window to its W face, with a pointed arch window (as chancel but smaller and with different frame) to the W face of the N transept. The entire rear elevation is finished in unpainted rough-cast.

All sections of the roof of the original building are covered in natural (?Westmoreland) slate. The roof has a slight overhang to the nave and transepts and here the rafter ends are exposed. Cast iron rw goods.

Small forecourt to E with low granite wall with relatively plain gates and railings.

Historical information

This church was built in 1928 and replaced an earlier Methodist church which had stood on this site since 1826 and which was the first Methodist church established in Newcastle.

References- Secondary sources
1 P.J. Rankin, 'Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in the Mourne Area of South Down', (Belfast UAHS 1975), p.73.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Small, two storey Methodist church of 1928, mainly granite built and Gothic in form, with an eclectic front gable with octagonal tower.