St Patrick's Church of Ireland

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached double-height Gothic Revival Church of Ireland church, built 1908 to designs of Hill and Taggart, located to the west side of Victoria Avenue. Church is cruciform on plan, consisting of central nave, aisles and transepts to east and west, chancel to north and square tower to south-east.

Roofs are pitched and natural slated, hipped to aisles; simple stone verges on corbelled kneelers, cross finial to north gable, clay ridge tiles. Walls are squared-and-snecked rockfaced basalt with sandstone dressings; diagonal buttresses with offsets to corners. Windows are pointed-arched-headed in stepped sandstone surrounds containing leaded stained glass.

Principal elevation faces east and consists of two-window wide nave to centre, (each window separated by buttresses); abutted at right by gabled transept containing single window with panel tracery; pointed-arched-headed chamfered sandstone opening containing vertically timber sheeted double-leaf doors to south. Abutted at left by three-stage square tower; single window at ground floor, surmounted by pair of pointed-arched-headed louvred openings; final stage consists of parapet with pointed-arched-headed recessed panels; finials to corners and octagonal stone spire with lucarnes; pointed-arched-headed chamfered rebated sandstone opening containing vertically timber sheeted double-leaf doors to north.

South gable is abutted by double-height projection at centre containing single window with panel tracery surmounted by string course and loop window above to apex. Abutted at left and right by aisles, each containing a single window. Further abutted at right by tower containing single narrow window at ground floor; upper stages detailed as principal elevation.

West elevation consists of three-window wide nave (each window separated by buttresses); abutted at left by gabled transept containing single window with panel tracery, and double-height vestry surmounted by gabled parapet.

North gable is abutted by double-height chancel at centre containing single window with panel tracery surmounted by string course and loop window above to apex. Abutted at left by east transept containing single window, and at right by west transept.

Set within churchyard in a restricted site with original and modern halls to the west. To east, site is accessed via seven stone steps and modern ramp from Victoria Avenue through double steel gates and secondary pedestrian gates to left and right, supported on modern square rendered pillars. Boundary wall to east and south is surmounted by modern railings.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Rockfaced squared-and-snecked basalt
Windows: Pointed-arched-headed leaded stained glass
RWG: Cast-iron ogee gutters and square downpipes

Historical information

The church is first shown on a revised edition of the third Ordnance Survey map of 1902 (revised 1930).

An entry in the Valuation Revisions of 1898 for ‘site of chapel’ is later revised to ‘church and land’ (date not given), the lessor is listed as John Raphael, and the occupier is listed as the trustees of Carrickfergus church. The building valuation is £25 10s. An entry in the revisions book in the 1900s notes ‘half annual rent of the site of the church’.

References

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/1/47/7 - Seventh Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1902)
2. PRONI VAL/12/B/7/18A-F - Valuation Revisions (1864-1929)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A detached double-height Gothic Revival church of Ireland church, built 1908 to designs of Hill and Taggart, located to the west side of Victoria Avenue in the coastal town of Whitehead. The church is well preserved and retains many original features both externally and internally and has good quality gothic revival detailing including ornate tracery work to all windows. The church is one of the more impressive buildings within the Whitehead Conservation Area.