Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached single celled barn style Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, dated 1784, located to north of Antrim Road. The church is rectangular in plan with small lean-to extension at north-west corner (housing WC).

The roof is pitched natural slate with raised verges on simple profiled kneeler stones, chimney to rear gable. The eaves are cavetto moulded. The walling is roughcast over a smooth rendered plinth. Windows are gothic-headed, in bead-moulded surrounds, unless otherwise stated. Windows with stained glass have Y tracery with roundels and those with plain glass are cusped with transoms framing casements.

The main (south) elevation is gable ended and consists of gothic-headed entrance opening surmounted by window with hood moulding and with diminished in size windows to either side. There is a roundel with hood moulding to apex. All windows have stained glass. The doors are double-leaf diagonally-sheeted replacements with cast iron knocker.

The west elevation is four windows wide with date stone to centre. The two windows to the centre have stained glass.

The north gable has two windows to each floor. The upper floor windows are diminished in height. All windows have transoms, those to ground floor are inset with bottom-hinged casements, those to upper floor have single transom with fixed glazing. All windows have plain architraves.

The east elevation is as west elevation with access to minister’s room located to north end. The third window from the left has stained glass. The pointed-arch-headed entrance door is diagonally T&G sheeted with bead moulded architrave, accessed by four sandstone steps.

Setting

The church is bounded to the Antrim Road by Castle Upton estate boundary wall and accessed through double wrought-iron gates with a wrought-iron overthrow, inscribed ‘Old Presbyterian Church Templepatrick’ and having a beaten copper crest of burning bush with date 1626. There is a modern church hall to the east of the site, of no interest. The church grounds are bounded to the north and east by rubble stone walls and to west by timber fence.

Roof covering Natural slate
Walling Roughcast with smooth rendered plinth
Windows Timber framed with painted masonry surrounds and sills, plain glazed unless otherwise stated
Rainwater goods Ogee profiled aluminium gutters

Historical information

According to the OS Memoirs (dated 1838), the current church was erected by subscription in 1784, at a cost of £850, partly contributed by Lord Templeton. In 1816, a donation of six poor boxes was made by a Mr James Blow, who was the owner of the mill at Dunadry (HB20/12/010). The church was noted as being associated with the Remonstrant Synod (p.144). In 1838, there was a small hexagonal session house attached to the east side of the church, now removed. The interior was recorded as having an earthen floor and two galleries.

This church is recorded as being the Unitarian congregation, the original Presbyterian Church in the Parish of Templepatrick, and one of the earliest Presbyterian settlements in Northern Ireland. It was first established in 1622, connected with the Synod of Ulster, but later became connected with the Remonstrant Synod. In 1830, Dr. Henry Montgomery, Minister of Dunmurry, led three presbyteries; Armagh, Bangor and Templepatrick, representing seventeen congregations out of the Synod of Ulster and formed the Remonstrant Synod in 1830. The minister of the church in Templepatrick at that time was Revd. Robert Campbell.

The Townland Valuation of 1836 records the building as the Presbyterian Meeting House Remonstrant, valued at £8.5s.0d. Griffiths Valuation, dated 1859, records the church along with a two-storey return, with a total value of £24.1s.od.

The church was remodelled c.1860.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI VAL1A/1/51B, Townland Valuation Map, 1836
2. PRONI VAL1B/129A, Townland Valuation Field book, 1836
3. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/51A, Griffiths Valuation Map, 1859
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/71B, Griffiths Valuation Field book, 1859
5. OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Antrim XIII, 1833, 1835, 1838 (Templepatrick and District) Vol 35

Secondary Sources

1. http://www.nspresbyterian.org/pages/history.htm, accessed 02/10/08
2. Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate, Market, and Post Towns, Parishes, and Villages, With Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities, Bishopricks, Corporate Towns, and Boroughs; Of the Seals of the Several Municipal Corporations.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A detached single celled barn style Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church set within the village of Templepatrick. This modest eighteenth century church has simple Gothic detailing and is well preserved, including the interior roof structure and fittings, and ornate stained glass windows. The church is set within the boundary of Castle Upton estate