Hydepark Methodist Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached two-storey Methodist church, dated 1829, with simple classical detailing located to the south side of Hydepark Road. Rectangular-on-plan with single storey flat-roofed extension to west.

Roof is gabled to south and hipped to north and natural slated with timber bargeboards. Walls are roughcast rendered over projecting plinth; platbands to sill height and mid-level; painted rendered quoins. Windows are round-arched-headed timber framed containing leaded stained glass within smooth rendered architraves; concrete sills.

Principal elevation faces south and consists of central modern double-leaf six panelled timber entrance door flanked by pilasters; round-arched-headed fanlight containing leaded stained glass surmounted by moulded archivolt; window with hood moulding to left and right; three windows with hood mouldings at first floor; blind oculus datestone ‘Methodist Church 1829’ to apex.

West elevation contains five windows at first floor; ground floor abutted at centre by extension containing single square-headed uPVC casement window; exposed section contains single square-headed timber framed casement window in smooth rendered surround at left and right.

North elevation consists of full height smooth rendered band to centre flanked both left and right by two square-headed timber framed casement windows at ground floor.

East elevation consists of five windows at first floor; at ground floor central square-headed six panelled entrance door with transom light flanked left and right by square-headed timber framed casement window in smooth rendered surround.

Setting

Set within church grounds with car park to south-west, bound to all sides by roughcast walling accessed to south-east through pair of modern steel gates supported on square piers with stepped pyramidal coping.

Roof Natural slate
Walling Roughcast render
Windows Round-arched-headed timber framed containing leaded stained glass; concrete sills
RWG Cast-iron half-round gutters with round downpipes

Historical information

The Church is shown on the first edition OS map of 1832.

It is recorded in the Townland Valuation of 1836 under exemptions, as a ‘Methodist Chapel with about one rood of land…’ and valued at £17. The 1857 OS map captions the building ‘Methodist Meeting House’.
Griffith’s Valuation of 1859 records the building under exemptions as the ‘Wesleyan Chapel and Yard’.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/56/1 - First Edition OS Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/56/2 - Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/56/3 - Third Edition OS Map (1902)
4. PRONI VAL/1/B/123/B - Townland Valuation (1836)
5. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/56 - Griffith’s Valuation Map (1857)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/10 - Griffith’s Valuation (1859)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached two-storey Methodist church with simple classical style detailing, dated 1829, located to the south side of Hydepark Road. The building displays an unusual layout with church located at first floor level and Sunday school beneath. This simply detailed church retains many of its original features despite modernisation but is not of special architectural or historic interest.