St Judes Church (C 0f I)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A church in Gothic Revival style comprising a nave, chancel, western tower, and small vestry. Main entrance faces north, in the tower. Built of snecked hammer-dressed basalt with Tardree granite quoins; similar dressings to windows and door of tower; painted rendered dressings to nave windows.

North elevation of nave is four windows wide, with windows set in recesses rising from the plinth: roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with dark tiled ridge, set between gable upstands; two cylindrical metal ventilators on ridge, with conical caps. Walls of snecked hammer-dressed basalt with Tardree granite quoins and projecting granite plinth and eaves course; main walling newly pointed. Windows are Gothic arched lancets set behind painted cast iron frames with cusped heads, recessed in chamfered surrounds of smooth cement render, colour washed, with deeply splayed sandstone cills, all set in Gothic arched block surrounds of smooth cement render; recessed basalt panels below cills. Glazing is later leaded quarries incorporating stained glass vesica pisces medallions; modern aluminium ventilator at base of each window. Cast iron gutter with cast iron downpipe. Set back to the right-hand end is the square entrance tower.

Tower of two stages, of same walling as nave. Doorway in lower stage: Tudor arched, of two stages, chamfered, with sandstone steps and moulded sandstone drip; rectangular timber double doors, flush panelled, set in a moulded timber frame, with arched and panelled tympanum panel integral with doors. West face of lower stage of tower contains a tall narrow Gothic lancet of stained glass set in a timber frame, recessed in a granite block surround with moulded sandstone drip. South face of lower stage of tower is a blank wall. Above an angled projecting weathering the upper stage of the tower is set back: angled crenellations to top, above a moulded cornice, with corbelled pinnacles to each corner; sunken Gothic panels to each face of pinnacles, with floriated crockets to apex. North face of upper stage of tower has a pair of tall narrow Gothic lancets in block surrounds, containing patterned timber louvres; moulded sandstone drips, and plain projecting cill. West face and south face both have similar louvred openings, but west face also has a circular datestone below cill: moulded sandstone surround; date 1841 in raised numbers.

East elevation comprises east gable of nave with a central lower gabled chancel projecting from it. Walling of both gables is of snecked basalt with granite quoins: shaped granite kneelers; angled stone copings, with lead dressings turned down over verges of gables. Chancel roof is slated as main nave; side walls blank stonework, with cast iron gutters and downpipes. Modern metal flue pipe fixed to nave gable to right of chancel, rising from a low modern boiler house built in the angle of nave and chancel. Boiler house has red brick walls, painted dark grey; hipped slated roof with dark ridge tiles; timber fascia, unpainted; PVC gutter, with PVC downpipe fixed to north wall of nave. Timber louvres in rectangular opening in east wall; rectangular sheeted timber door in south wall.

East gable of chancel contains a large 2-light Gothic arched window of stained glass, with raised sandstone surround, and sandstone tracery, and slightly raised cement rendered outer surround; modern steel mesh protective grilles.

In angle of chancel and nave gable wall to left is a gabled single storey vestry; roof slated as previous; walls of roughly coursed basalt rubble, with granite quoins, and projecting granite plinth and eaves course; cast iron gutter and downpipe.
North gable blank; east wall contains a rectangular timber, vertically hung sliding sash window, 1 over 1, with horns; smooth cement rendered surround in two stages, chamfered, with deep splayed sandstone cill; iron bars over window. South side projects slightly beyond south wall of nave: gabled, with shaped granite kneelers, and granite copings, with down-turned flashing over verges; walling of two qualities, rock faced basalt for main part, with hammer-dressed face to left above doorway. Doorway is Gothic arched with smooth cement rendered raised surround, containing a rectangular timber flush-panelled door, original, with iron knob handle, surmounted by a Gothic arched fanlight containing reeded glass; sandstone step. Cast iron downpipe to left of doorway, broken, with moulded cast iron hopper.

South elevation of nave is similar to north elevation.

SETTING: The church stands in a rural area, with its west end facing the main road, but set well back from it within its own grounds, approached by a rough tarmac driveway which extends around the church as a parking area, bordered by concrete kerbing. Immediately to the west of the tower is a gnarled tree surrounded by concrete kerbing. Grassed areas to north of church, partly laid out as a memorial garden bordered by beech hedges and timber fencing, and containing a granite Celtic cross of c 1921 to the memory of various members of the Thompson family.

To the south of the church is a single storey gabled building with a Neo-Grec entrance façade in granite, originally a mausoleum to the Thompson family who built the church, containing a rectangular 8-panelled door, but now used as a gardener's store; entrance flanked by twin yew trees; sides smooth cement rendered, new work, with timber fascias, PVC guttering and downpipes; roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; modern rectangular metal framed window in west side; east side blank. Connected to the rear is a later gabled church hall of similar walling, with asbestos slated roof and rectangular sheeted door and flush doors. Rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vents to rear wall.

Entrance to front driveway formed by a pair of square sandstone piers with chamfered edges; broad capstones; new replacement ironwork gates with spear finials. Original ironwork archway springing from tops of piers and original iron gates now removed and dumped behind front boundary wall. Front boundary formed by a basalt rubble wall with rock copings. Driveway bordered by low hedges, with mature trees surrounding the site. Boundary of site to east marked by a modern ranch-style timber fence, with agricultural land beyond.

Historical information

Built in 1839-41 as a chapel of ease to the designs of Charles Lanyon, architect, and known originally as Muckamore Grange Endowed Chapel; site given and church largely paid for by John Thompson of Muckamore Abbey, and other members of the Thompson family, supplemented by a grant from the Down and Connor Church Accommodation Society; building completed 1841 but owing to delays not opened until 18th September 1842; consecrated later in 1842; renovated and modernised in 1876, with stained glass east window presented by William Ewart MP, of Glenmachan, Belfast, in memory of his sister Mrs Maguire. Prior to the building of this church members of the Church of Ireland had to attend the church in Antrim town.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 50.
2. Fourth and Final Report of the Down and Connor Church Accommodation Society (Belfast, 1843), p 26 and plate facing.
3. L. Ewart, Handbook of the United Diocese of Down and Connor and Dromore (Belfast, 1886), p 101.
Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, West Antrim (Belfast, 1970), p 12.
2. P. Larmour, 'Sir Charles Lanyon', Irish Arts Review Yearbook (1989-90), pp 200-206 (Muckamore Church referred to at p 202).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

This is a 19th century church in a Gothic Revival style which exhibits the plan form, proportions, spatial organisation and structural forms that are characteristic of the style and period. Despite some minor inappropriate alterations and additions, it is a building of some local interest and social importance, enjoying a pleasant setting, but is also of wider national interest as a fairly substantial work by Charles Lanyon, the most important architect of his generation in Ireland.