Hydepark Presbyterian Church Mallusk Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Free-standing gable-fronted double-height single-cell stone and brick Presbyterian church, built 1862, facing north set within its own grounds on a corner site bound by Hyde Park Road to the east and Mallusk Road to the north. Multi-bay two-storey church hall attached by a glazed corridor to the southwest corner, built c.2000.

Hipped natural slate roof with a raised central valley, now filled by a flat torch-on felt roof, a lower pitched roof extends from the north to a raised front gable. Black clay ridge tiles throughout with replacement metal guttering to a sandstone ashlar eaves course and yellow brick blocking course below. Plastic downpipes throughout. Front gabled vestibule has a raised moulded sandstone coping surmounted by a sandstone ashlar bellcote with an open round-headed arch and a heavy corbelled cornice above.

Rock-faced coursed and snecked basalt walling with rusticated granite ashlar quoins to all corners, yellow brick frieze below eaves and a granite ashlar plinth course.

Double-height round-headed window openings formed in yellow brick with sandstone sills and replacement hardwood fixed-pane windows, the window openings are blind to the side elevations of the vestibule section. To the front gable is a central rose window to the upper stage with timber marigold pattern glazing set in courses of yellow and brick redbrick having toothing detail. The toothing yellow brick detail also forms a hood moulding to the front gable windows and door openings. Central pair of door openings to the front gable with replacement tongue and groove double-leaf hardwood doors. Doors open onto a concrete platform and front gravel area.

Church yard is mostly gravelled with some landscaping to the east side elevation while the site is enclosed to the north and east by a low rock-faced rubble basalt wall with stacked coping. To the northeast corner is a pair of stone piers with replacement steel gates c.1950. To the southeast is a pair of rendered piers and rendered walls with steel pedestrian and vehicular gates giving access to the rear car park and the church hall. This entrance formerly gave access to the Hyde Park Manse, demolished c.1988.

Roof Covering Natural Slate
Walling Coursed and snecked rough-hewn basalt
Windows Replacement hardwood
Rainwater goods Replacement metal and plastic

Historical information

Hydepark Presbyterian Church dates from 1862. A glazed corridor was added c. 2000, attaching the Church to a two-storey church hall to the southwest.

Hyde Park Magazine from 1963 has the following information: ‘The building in which we are worshipping today, was finished by the end of December 1862, at a cost of 1,140 pounds, the contractor being Mr. John Courtney, and on the first Sunday in the year (4th January 1863) opening services were conducted by Rev. John Hall of Dublin and Rev. John MacNaughton of Belfast. The first minister was Rev. Alan Bell…’

‘The first Communion was observed on the 28th September 1862. It was held in the ‘Brown Room’ of the Bleach Works, the Church being in the course of erection. Rev. W. C. McCullough, Minister of Ballysillan, was the officiating minister...’

References:

Secondary Sources

1. Information from the current occupier (2009)
2. Hydepark Magazine. January 1963

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Free-standing gable-fronted double-height single-cell stone and brick Presbyterian church. A simple church with vestibule exhibiting good quality stone masonry embellished with decorative brickwork well sited in a good setting. The surviving interior with its box pews, pulpit and unusual roof trusses is a good example of the type and contributes to the whole as being a building of special interest. The replacement of the windows has compromised its character but not to any great extent.

General comments

Manse demolished 1988