St Colman's C of I Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, rectangular, single cell gabled church in an early medieval Irish style with slight Neo-Romanesque elements. The church was built in 1927 to designs by Henry Seaver, and was intended originally as a chapel of ease. It is picturesquely sited on the S side of the Tullybrannigan Road, half a mile W of Newcastle town centre. The church is set within the bounds of a graveyard with graves a distance away to the S.

The church is constructed in uncoursed granite rubble, with green Westmoreland slates to the roof. The front gable faces W and has a relatively small semicircular arched entrance with recessed panelled timber double door. High above the door is a small roundel window. The N and S facades are identical, each having four, relatively small, semicircular headed windows. The E gable has a similar, but slightly larger, centrally located window. To the left on this gable is a semicircular headed doorway with door similar to front (only painted black).

The roof has an overhang with plain barges. There is a small bellcote to the front gable. Cast iron rw goods.

To the N of the church is a low rubble built wall with granite coping and wrought iron ‘twisted’ railings with spear heads. There is a decorative yet simple set of wrought iron gates, bounded by square, coursed granite gate posts with pyramidal caps. There are similar posts to the E and W boundaries of the wall.

Historical information

St Colman’s C of I church was built in 1927 to designs by Henry Seaver. It was originally intended as a chapel of ease and stands within a cemetery which appears to date from the later 19th century (it is shown on the OS map of 1903, but not on that of 1859).

References- Primary sources
1 Linen Hall Library ‘Irish Builder’ 17 October 1925.

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.78.
2 J.G. Jackson ‘St John’s Church, Newcastle- A brief history 1832-1982’ (Mourne Observer Press, Newcastle, 1982), pp.6-7.
3 Paul Larmour ‘Festival of Architecture 1934-1984’ (RSUA, Belfast, 1984).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Small, rectangular gabled church of 1927 by Henry Seaver, in early medieval Irish style with slight Neo-Romanesque elements. The building has a certain picturesque quality, enhanced by the accompanying well tended (and well wooded) graveyard.