Templepatrick Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Free-standing gable-fronted single-cell double-height rural Presbyterian Church, built 1845, and aligned east-west, located to the south of the Antrim Road and accessed from the west Lowtown Road. A series of multi-bay, single and two-storey extensions abut the church to the south west corner, built c. 1908.

The roof is pitched natural slate with terracotta ridge tiles; plain timber bargeboards, exposed moulded brackets and finial to ridge, rainwater goods are square uPVC. Walling is ruled and lined render. Windows are Gothic timber multi-pane Y-tracery with interlacing glazing bars; bottom hung opening inward casements (unless otherwise stated).

Principal east gable is three windows wide with central principal entrance, projecting rendered plinth and stepped quoins. There are Gothic timber Y-tracery Art Nouveau stained glass windows with rendered moulded cills and hoodmould above the central entrance and to each flanking bay. The double entrance doors are replacement timber tongue and groove with square hoodmould on console brackets. The door is fronted by a square area of original granite flags. There is a replacement render bi-axial rectangular plaque to apex with the inscription ‘built 1845’.

South elevation is three windows wide, abutted to left end by single-storey extension with pitched roof. The left window has leaded stained glass and all windows have splayed cills.

West gable has two windows detailed as those on east gable but modified following the 1908 addition, when the single storey pitched and lean-to extensions were added. Granite cills and rendered hood moulds remain. There is a replacement render bi-axial rectangular plaque to apex with the inscription ‘Templepatrick Presbyterian Church.’

North elevation is three windows wide.

Extensions have rock-faced rubble plinth with ruled and lined render above. The gable of the pitched extension to the left contains square headed timber casement window with original bi-axial rectangular plaque to apex with the inscription ‘The/Templepatrick/ Trinitarian Meeting House/1845.’ relocated during the 1908 renovations. There is a similar window to the left cheek and abutted by single-storey glazed lean-to extension to the right cheek.

Setting

The church yard is mostly gravelled and is enclosed to the north and west sides by low rock-faced rubble wall with segmental coping and square pointed pillar caps. There is a pedestrian gate on the north wall centred on the site between the church and the manse which sits to the east of the church comprising circular rendered pillars and conical pillar caps with original cast metal gate. The original vehicular access from the Lowtown Road, is no longer in regular use, instead an access further south on the Lowtown Road leads to car park to rear of site and connects to north church yard at the east side.

Windows: Gothic timber multi-pane Y-tracery with interlacing glazing bars bottom hung opening inward casements unless otherwise stated.
Doors: Replacement timber T&G unless otherwise stated.
Walling: Cement ruled and lined render with rendered cills and hood moulds.
Roof: Pitched natural slate with terracotta ridge tiles.
Rainwater goods: Square uPVC

Historical information

Recorded on the 1857 OS map as ‘Presbyterian Meeting Ho.’. Griffith's Valuation of 1859, records a 'meeting house and yard', the immediate lessor is Revd Arthur Pakenham and the building is valued at £15. A plaque (replacement) on the principal gable states the church was 'built 1845'. It is recorded as ‘Templepatrick Pres. Church on the 1957 OS map.

The Church was added to c. 1908, when a number of additions were made to the southwest corner.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/51/1 –First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/51/2 –Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/51C-Griffiths Valuation Map (1857)
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/10-Griffiths Valuation Field book (1859))

Secondary Sources

1. Girvan, W. D. and Rowan, A. J. 1970 ‘Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in West Antrim’. Ulster Architectural Heritage Society

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An example of a mid-nineteenth century rural Presbyterian Church. Although the church was remodelled in the early-twentieth century, the original plan form has been retained along with original features such as the windows and many internal features. However, it is a relatively common type that has been compromised by the extensive and unsympathetic modern additions and cannot be said to be of special architectural or historic interest.