Carnmoney Parish Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A double-height basalt Church of Ireland church, built c.1820, located to the north side of Church Road, Carnmoney. Cruciform on plan, facing west; three stage square tower to west, diminished chancel to east, vestry to NE, porch to SW.

Pitched natural slate roof, terracotta ridge tiles, ogee cast-iron rainwater goods on corbel blocks; stone verges on kneelers. Walling is random coursed squared basalt over tooled dressed plinth with similarly detailed diagonal buttresses and quoins (irregular quoins to nave). Windows are Gothic cusped Y-tracery with chamfered blocked sandstone reveals flush chamfered sills (unless otherwise stated).

West gable is almost completely abutted by three-stage tower. The tower is detailed as church with stringcourses; double-height first stage, third stage stepped in. Castellated parapet; spiked pinnacles with gablets and fleur-de-lys finials to corners. First stage has a replacement window to west and a single diamond lattice loop to north; the right cheek is abutted by the choir room. Second stage has lancets to each side; third stage belfry has paired Y-tracery cusped louvred openings with hood moulds.

The north elevation is two windows wide (with clamp buttress between) with north transepts lit by a single three-part decorated tracery window with hood mould. Lucarne window to west end with verge and kneelers as main gable, diamond lattice glazing. Vestry abuts the north-east corner, detailed as main body of church with shoulder-headed arched sheeted door having rivets and strap hinges to north; window to exposed right cheek.

East gable is abutted by chancel, lit by a four-part decorated tracery window.

South elevation is abutted by south transept, as north, and double-pile vestibule and choir room. The exposed central section is one window wide. Vestibule has pointed arched door opening to right and cusped Y-tracery window to left, divided by a small clamp buttress. Each opening is surmounted by a diamond lattice paned quatrefoil in sandstone reveal. Door is replacement timber with strap hinges, accessed by two tiled steps and set in a two-order chamfered stone reveal. Set to wall between pitches at valley level is a gargoyle spout (disused). The left and right cheeks each have a diminished in size window.

Setting

The church is set on an elevated site in an ancient churchyard containing a number of memorials and grave markers dating from the seventeenth century. (HB21/16/001B-H) To north is St Brigid’s well (HB21/16/001K). The church is bound to the road by a stone retaining wall, enclosing a steep grassed bank plated with trees. Access is at west via a pair of cast-iron gates on stop-end chamfered ashlar sandstone piers with diamond pointed caps.

Roof: natural slate
Walling: Random coursed basalt
Windows: stained glass
Rainwater goods: cast-iron

Historical information

Carnmoney Parish Church sits on the site of a Medieval Church and well (Ant 057:001). The present church dates to c.1820 and was consecrated on 23rd December 1856. It was built largely by the efforts of Rev. Samuel Smythe who was curate from 1796 to 1849, and his son, Rev. George Smythe, who carried on his as vicar until 1903.

The first edition OS map of 1833 shows the church on the site without transepts. The Townland valuation of 1836 values the church and church yard at £0.10s.0d. The second valuation map shows the church to its current plan and has ‘Site of Church’ marked to east, in the church yard. Griffiths values the church, along with church yard and a national school, at £58.0s.0d. Valuation Revisions in 1862 show the site as Church, National School, house and graveyard, with value of £58.0s.0d. Valuations following this, dated 1877and 1881 show value increased to £64.0s.0d and £68.0s.0d respectively. Revision in 1892 show the addition of a sexton's house and teacher's house, but valued remains unchanged at £64.0s.0d until final revision of 1920.

According to the OS memoirs: ‘The Parish Church is situated in the townland of Carnmoney and near the south western side of the parish. It is a plain old structure of an oblong square form measuring externally 64x26 feet, built of stone and rough cast. A little square tower containing a belfry and forty feet high stands on its western gable. It receives light from three pointed windows in its southern side and one in its eastern gable. It is comfortably fitted up with pews and contains accommodation for 61 persons. This church is a portion of the ancient church of Coole, the foundations of the remainder of which are at its western end and extend for 25 feet longer than the present building. Of its date of erection or history nothing whatever can be locally ascertained. In 1824 it underwent considerable alteration, and in 1835 was newly roofed and repaired at an expense of £160, of which £110 was contributed by the parish and £50 by the Rev Mr Smythe, the Vicar. In 1838 £100 was given by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners towards flooring the church and repairing the pews when it was discovered that some of the original ones had been constructed of yew and a human jawbone of enormous size was found beneath the floor.’

There are no longer any visible remains of the medieval parish church (NISMR)

Two major restorations have been carried out, in 1952 and 1982.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/57/1 -First edition OS Map (1833)
2. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/57 -Townland Valuation Map (1836)
3. PRONI VAL/1/B/115A -Townland Valuation Fieldbook (1836)
4. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/57 -Griffith's Valuation Map (1857)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/13B -Griffith's Valuation Fieldbook (1857)
6. PRONI VAL/12/D/1/57A -Valuation Revisions Map (1859-1876)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/5/7A-G -Valuation Revisions (1862-1920)
8. OS Memoirs, Parishes of County Antrim Volume 2 (1838-39)

Secondary Sources

1. Parish booklet
2. Northern Ireland Environment Agency, NISMR (Ant 057:001)

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A double-height basalt Church of Ireland church, built c.1820, located to the north side of Church Road, Carnmoney. Carmoney Church of the Four Evangelists is a simple Church of Ireland parish church which occupies an ancient site and is set in a church yard. The church is characterised by simple Gothic detailing with some notable features, including the lucarne window and unexpected gargoyle spout. The interior has been modernised, although retains some well crafted furnishings and richly coloured tiling with Celtic detailing dating from the Disestablishment era. Although the surrounding area has been developed extensively, the church retains something of a rural outlook, on an elevated site with ancient graveyard shielded by mature trees. The churchyard contains several early and interesting memorials (HB21/06/001B-H) and an old well (HB21/06/001K). Together, they form an interesting religious group with an evolved history.

General comments

This record has been renumbered and was HB21/16/001