Crumlin Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A Gothic Revival church consisting of a rectangular nave with a gabled two-storey extension to the rear and a three-storey entrance tower to the front. Main entrance faces south.

Entrance elevation comprises south gable of church with central projecting tower, all symmetrical but for the circular stair turret to the right of the tower set into the angle with the church. Walls smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked; moulded plinth; moulded projecting eaves course which continues as string course around tower. Similar string courses at two higher levels of tower. Moulded coping to south gable. Two-stage weathered buttress to each extremity of south gable.

Tower square with octagonal projections at corners, corbelled out at eaves course level of church, at rear corners of tower, but rising from diagonal buttresses at front corners, all continuing up into corner pinnacles at top of tower, with crenellated parapets between. Second floor of tower has central Gothic arched opening in each face, filled with wooden louvres, and set under Gothic arched label moulding. First floor of tower has square windows in centre of front face, containing lozenge pattern cast iron tracery set in chamfered reveals; other faces of first floor blank. Main entrance in centre of ground floor of tower: rectangular timber double doors, panelled, modern replacements for ledged timber original; set in Tudor arched surround inscribed 'MILLAR ARCHITECT' at top (without bar to As), surrounded by a label moulding, which is surmounted by a framed stone panel inscribed 'Ecclesia Scotica'; two granite steps to front door combined with concrete door step. West side of ground floor of tower has small rectangular window of lozenge pattern cast iron tracery in chamfered reveal with Tudor style drip moulding over; perspex storm proofing affixed over window.

South gable of church to left of tower has a tall Gothic arched lancet in chamfered reveal; cusped headed frame to window with glazing continued behind it; deep splayed cill with coved underside; label moulding over. In angle between tower and church to right of tower is a circular stair turret with walling as previous. Flat roof behind blocking course. Facing south in turret is a window similar to previous in south gable. Cast iron downpipe in corner with tower.

West elevation of church comprised of four-bay nave divided by two-stage weathered buttresses, with a recessed two-storey end bay to same ridge height, also marked by a buttress, with a later two-storey extension set back to the left, with a lower roofline. Main roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; dark blue ridge tiles; six small roof ventilators at intervals at mid-pitch; cast iron gutter with circular cast iron downpipes in second and fourth bays from tower. Gothic arched lancet in each nave bay, two-light with tracery spandrel, otherwise similar detailing to south gable window. Second, third and fourth bays have circular cast iron ventilator grille deep set in wall below cills; directly below that is a modern rectangular air vent at plinth level. Set-back rear stair bay has two windows, one to each floor, rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung vent; PVC gutter and PVC downpipe. North gable of set-back rear stair bay is blank above later projecting gabled extension. Plinth of set-back bay is not moulded.

Extension roofed with slates in regular courses; PVC gutter on timber fascia, and PVC downpipe and soil pipe; walls plastered, linedand blocked, with unmoulded plinth. One window to first floor on west elevation, rectangular timber fixed light with top-hung vent. North gable of extension is two-storey, of similar walling as previous, with timber barge boards; two windows to each floor, Gothic arched, varnished timber fixed lights of leading glazing, with perspex mounted over the face. East side of extension is blank; PVC gutter on wooden fascia, with PVC downpipe.

East elevation of nave is similar to west side. East elevation of set-back bay is similar to west side except no windows, but Gothic arched doorway, chamfered; modern replacement Gothic arched ledged wooden door with modern handle, set in chamfered wooden frame; three concrete steps. Cast iron gutter and downpipe.

SETTING: The church stands facing the main road but set back within its own grounds which comprise a grassed graveyard, with a concrete path around the church. Front of church approached by a modern brown concrete brick paved path leading from front gateway and splaying to each extremity of entrance front. No graveyard memorial stones of any special architectural interest. Boundary to front formed by gateway and screen walls between a sexton's house and a session room, both built within the church grounds and forming a semi-formal arrangement with the church itself; boundary to east formed by a pebble-dashed wall with cement coping; boundary to west formed by concrete post and wire fencing; boundary to rear formed by wall finished with wet dash of crushed stones; cement coping; wall contains a modern Gothic styled steel gate set within a tall Gothic shaped archway, rendered as rear wall. Flight of concrete steps leads up from road to path at rear of church, lined by modern tubular steel handrails.

FRONT GATEWAY AND SCREEN WALLS: These are comprised of a pair of square piers, roughcast panels with chamfered smooth rendered borders; shallow pyramidal smooth rendered caps surmounted by cylindrical metal lamp standards. Double gates of restrained scrolling designs. Curving forward from piers are low screen walls, of roughcast with broad concrete copings surmounted by plain modern iron railings, which return to each side to abut adjoining gabled Session Room (HB20/15/001B) and Sexton's House (HB20/15/001C).

Historical information

Built in 1839 to the designs of John Millar, architect of Belfast, on a site given by the Hon. General Pakenham.
Congregation founded in 1838. Bell made by M. Byrne of the Fountain Head Foundry, James's Street, Dublin, in 1905, and erected in memory of Rev. Alexander Canning, the first minister of the church, who died in 1896.
Listed in 1974, when the inscription on the arch of the doorway was obscured from view by being filled up with paint.

References - Primary sources
1. Inscription on arch of doorway (obscured from view at time of first survey due to incised letters being filled up with paint).
2. OS Map 1858, Co Antrim 59.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, West Antrim (Belfast, 1970), pp 6, 8, 11.
2. P. Larmour, John Millar - a Greek Revival pioneer, Perspective (The Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects), Vol 3, No 1, September/October 1994, pp 55-57.
3. C.E.B. Brett, article in Ulster Architect, September/October 1994.
4. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Antrim (UAHS, Belfast, 1996), p 54.
5. C. Watson, The Story of the United Parishes of Glenavy, Camlin and Tullyrusk (Belfast, 1892), p 43.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

This is a fine example of an early 19th century church in Gothic Revival style by an important Irish architect, which retains its main interior and exterior features, and forms part of an attractive group along with its associated Session Room and Sexton’s House.