Kilbride Presbyterian Church, Moyra Road, Doagh, Co Antrim, BT39 0JD

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached double-height single-cell Presbyterian Church, built 1848, located to the north of the Moyra Road. Rectangular on plan, aligned north-south; two-storey lean-to extension to north, pitched two-storey extension to south gable.

Slate roof, gabled to south, hipped to north; boxed eaves, aluminium rainwater goods. Pebbledashed walling to south elevation and south bays of side elevations; smooth cement render stepped quoins and plinth. Remainder has roughcast walling with smooth render banding over plinth. Windows are lancet-headed timber framed lattice with margin panes and stained glass detailing, unless otherwise stated; rendered reveals with moulded hoods and projecting rendered cills.

Principal gable faces south; all windows are Y-tracery. Central shallow breakfront with pointed-arched entrance opening surmounted by triplet of stained glass windows with shared cill (that to centre is taller). Above each window is a panel carved in deep relief with central shield bearing date (1895, 1848 and 1983 respectively). Apex has a truncated lancet headed louvred opening with sill. There is a window to either side of breakfront. Entrance door is accessed by three stone steps and consists of double replacement sheeted doors with sheeted tympanum. Modern rendered reveal.

West elevation is six openings wide. That to right consists of a square-headed timber door surmounted by a window opening with Y-tracery head. Metal sheeted balcony over door. Other windows have single modern timber transom only.

Rear elevation is abutted by a lean-to extension.

East elevation is detailed as west, but all openings are windows.

The extension has a lean-to catslide roof with large roof light; simple chimneystack with projecting chimneybreast to east elevation. Walling is roughcast with render banding to first floor cill level and to corners. Openings are square-headed, windows are 1/1 timber sashes with rendered architraves and sills. North elevation openings are at first floor level, consisting of two windows and four-panelled door accessed by a long precast-concrete ramp. Right cheek has replacement window and door in shared reveal at ground floor; two windows (one diminished) at first floor. Left cheek has window to each floor.

Setting

The
setting consists of a graveyard at east bounded by a coursed black basalt wall. Site bounded to road by pebbledashed wall, access to tarmac carpark at south via a pair of mild steel gates.

Roof: Natural Slate
Walling: Cement dry dash with smooth detailing; wetdash to rear
Windows: Stained timber
Rainwater Goods: Aluminium rainwater goods

Historical information

The church was built in 1848 (Girvan, p 20). The church is recorded on the Griffiths Valuation Map, 1859. The Griffiths Valuation Field Book records the Immediate Lessor as The Marquis of Donegal and records a church, yard and graveyard at a value of £20. 0s. 0d. The two story extension was added in 1898 (Girvan, p20).

The Rev. Robert R. Cox of St. Bride’s, Kilbride (HB21/02/004), wrote in his History of the Parish of Kilbride: “It is a strange fact that there was no place of public worship for Presbyterians in this part of the Six Mile Valley until 1849.” “When the new church was opened on 13th March 1849 there were 130 families attached to it. Today there are 290 families.... The total cost of the building, excluding the gallery, which was erected around 1860, was £314. 14s. 3½d. The site cost £11. 5s. 0d. Three day’s work of a man clearing the foundation, 3/-, One cwt. of lathing nails, 11/-, one load of sand, 8d. cost to A. Preston for drawing 2cwt. slates, 7d.

“The first Kilbride Manse was erected in 1853 at a cost of £181.2s.5d. At a committee meeting held on 23rd May 1850, ‘It was agreed that Samuel Courtney should built the Manse at one shilling and eight pence per perch, Irish, and no allowance of reveals, projections or recesses, and that James and George Hull do the carpenter work and provide timber, iron, slates, nails, glass, lead and paint for the sum of £80, and that he only perform the work necessary for closing in the house at the first gale, and be paid accordingly, and do all in accordance with the plans and specifications.” The above letter was signed by William Orr (born 1812 in Castlecaulfield, ordained as minister for Kilbride in 1848, died 1 Mar 1879) (Cox 89, 93)

Buried in the graveyard is Mr. William Galt, reputedly the first Sunday School teacher. Rev. Cox wrote of him in regards to the widespread opinion that Doagh was the site of the first Sunday School in Ireland, although Rev. Cox doubts the theory can be proven. “The facts are as follows: William Galt, who lived in Doagh towards the end of the 18th century was a man of literary tastes. During his early life he was a teach, and being anxious to pass on to others something of the blessings arising from the possession of knowledge, he established in 1768 a library, known as Doagh Book Club [burned c.1798]. Shortly after this club was opened, he began to instruct the youth of the village and district. The subjects taught were, reading, writing, and arithmetic, after referred to as the bread and butter subjects. Since Sunday afforded the best opportunity for his work, that day was set apart for the undertaking. Such were the beginnings, according to the inscription on Mr. Galt’s gravestone in Kilbride Churchyard, of “the first Sunday School.” (Cox 53)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/45 -Townland Valuation Map (1836)
2. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/45A -Griffith's Valuation Map (1859)
3. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/8B -Griffith's Valuation Field Book (1859)

Secondary Sources

1. Cox, Robert Roland. History of the Parish of Kilbride (Doagh, Co. Antrim: Self-published, 1959)
2. Girvan, W. D. and Rowan, A. J. ‘Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in West Antrim’. Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (1970)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

An attractive detached double-height single-cell Presbyterian Church, built 1848, located to the north of the Moyra Road. Originally constructed in the mid-nineteenth century and remodelled in the latter part of the twentieth century encompassing the addition of a new double-height vestibule. An original interior contributes to the historic significance of this church with many original features intact, including the box pews.