Hall (Former Church), Duneane Presbyterian Church, Gloverstown Road, Toomebridge, Co Antrim, BT41 3RB

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached single-cell double-height former Presbyterian Church with simple gothic detailing, built in 1815 and located to north of Church Road. The plan is rectangular, with lean-to kitchen extension to east and further extension to north. The church is now in use as a church hall.

The roof is pitched and slated with clay ridge tiles, raised verges and chimneys to gable ends. The walls are roughcast over smooth rendered plinth and rendered banding to corners. The windows are painted pointed-arched-headed with smooth rendered surrounds and painted masonry sills. All windows contain leaded stained glass with margined lights and secondary external plain glazing unless otherwise stated.

The principal (south) elevation is gable-ended with simple moulded kneeler stones and moulded cornice to eaves. Elevation flanked by sandstone diagonal buttressing with off-sets, and is abutted to the east by modern single storey extension. The central entrance consists of a four order rebated pointed-arched-headed with hood moulding and label stops, set within stepped rendered surround. The door is diagonally sheeted timber with decorative straps, and is accessed by four rendered steps. The doorway is flanked to each side by a grouping of three small square-headed windows with gothic stained glass motif, set within V-channel rusticated surrounds with chamfered sills. The door is surmounted by a tripartite gothic window (larger central window) detailed as ground floor. There is a narrow pointed-arched-headed louvred opening to apex.

The west elevation is seven windows wide, each bay being divided by roughcast buttressing with off-sets. There is cavetto moulding to eaves.

North gable is smooth rendered with corbelled eaves, and kneeler stones to base and centre of pitch. The elevation is flanked to both sides by diagonal buttressing with off-sets. There is a small pointed- arched-headed louvered opening with masonry sill to apex. To the centre is a single-storey minister's room with slated pitched roof and timber eaves board; the east cheek is abutted by an extension with a cat-slide roof and the west cheek is abutted by a later flat-roofed boiler house.

The east elevation is abutted by a modern extension detailed as main church, but of no interest. The exposed north bay has a single window.

Setting

The church occupies a rural
setting, within churchyard, with graveyard to east, west and north. There is a new church, built 1936, to south (HB20/01/019A). The earliest grave marker found in the graveyard is that of Henry Esler, dated 1815. The graveyard contains a monument to John Carey (HB20/01/019B). The site is bounded by a hedge to east, north and west. It is bounded to the road so the south by a brick stretcher bonded wall and brick piers with banded pillar cap and two steel gates.

Roof covering Natural slate
Walling Roughcast with smooth rendered plinth
Windows Pointed-arched-headed with smooth rendered surround and painted masonry cills containing leaded stained glass with margins lights (secondary external glazing) unless otherwise
Rainwater goods Cast iron.

Historical information

According to the OS memoirs, the church was originally built of mud, afterwards stone, and was rebuilt in 1815, by Rev. Archabald, when the congregation had 250 families. When built it contained accommodation for 360 people (p.114). The Townland Valuation records that the church was originally set within 1 acre of land, valued at £6.1s.0d in 1836. The graveyard had been extended by 1857 OS maps.

A description of the church is included in the OS memoir of 1837, 'floor is of earth except two double pews which are boarded. The aisle is six and a half feet wide. There are 10 windows, oval shaped, viz. four on each side, and one on each end, each three feet wide, of glass. There are two doors on the side or front of the meeting house' (p.114). The current exterior does not fit with the 1837 description of the church. Stylistically, it appears that the church was remodelled and roughcast c.1880.

The building was again remodelled to become a church hall when the new church (HB20/01/019A) was built in 1936.

The building was extended to the east c.2000.

References:

Primary Sources

1. OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Antrim VI 1830, 1833, 1835-38 (South west Antrim) Vol 19 general and pg 114.
2. PRONI OS/6/1/42/1, 1st Edition OS Map, Co Antrim, 1833
3. PRONI OS/6/1/42/2, 2nd Edition OS Map, Co Antrim, 1857
4. PRONI VAL/1A/1/42, Townland Valuation Map, Co. Antrim, no. 42, 1836
5. PRONI VAL/1B/185, Townland Valuation Field book, 1836
6. PRONI VAL/2A/1/42A, Griffiths Valuation Map, Co. Antrim, no. 42, 1857
7. PRONI VAL/2B/1/62A, Griffiths Valuation Field book, 1857

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

This simply detailed single-cell double-height former Presbyterian Church is located in an attractive churchyard in a rural setting. Although the building has been extended for use as the church hall, work has been carried out sympathetically and the original character of the church has not been lost. The stained glass is elegant and reflects the simple styling throughout. Plasterwork and timber detailing, both externally and internally, is well preserved. The rural setting is further enhanced by the graveyard and the modern church to the south of the site, representing the history of this church and its congregation.

General comments

This record has been renumbered and was previously HB20/01/020