Tower Gate of St. Nicholas' Church of Ireland Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A freestanding three-stage gate tower, built 1961-1962 (dated) to designs by Denis O’D. Hanna in a loose Perpendicular Gothic Revival style. It incorporates an earlier ashlar sandstone gate archway dated 1831, located on the north-west corner of Market Place. Square-on-plan, facing east.

Hipped natural slate pavilion roof with leaded flat apex, single gabled dormer with cusped louvered aperture to each hip, moulded cast-iron gutters (round downpipe has foundry mark “L3 BGS 460 PATENT”) on boxed eaves. Walling is block-marked cement render with moulded stringcourse between first and second stage. Windows are cusped leaded casements. Third stage consists of seven windows divided by mullions; vertically moulded corners, shared sill.

Principal (east) elevation is symmetrical with recessed quoins to first stage, corbelled out to second stage. First stage has elliptical arch with V-jointed sandstone voussoirs and dated keystone flanked by piers; second stage has a single tripartite mullioned window with shield-embossed aprons.

South elevation is blank.

Rear (west) elevation has continuous wall face without recesses and is otherwise detailed as east elevation.

North elevation is blank with the exception of an off-centre hinged vertically-sheeted timber door to second stage; wrought-iron lantern affixed above; accessed via external metal stairs.

The tower is situated on the south-east corner of St. Nicholas' Church of Ireland (HB22/08/001A) churchyard and contains covered public access linking Market Place at east with Lancasterian Street at north.

Roof: Hipped natural slate
Walling: Ruled-and-lined render
Windows: Cusped-headed casements, leaded glazing, concrete mullions.
Rainwater Goods: Ogee cast-iron gutters

Historical information

The gate tower is located on the northwest corner of Market Place and was built in 1961-2 to designs by Denis O’D. Hanna. It incorporates an earlier archway which is dated 1831. The tower was built in memoriam to those of the parish who died in the two world wars and replaced an earlier carillion, located at the north of the vestry, built to commemorate the Great War.

References

Secondary Sources:
1. UAHS. ‘Carrickfergus’-Belfast, 1980. Pg 20, 21 and 34.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A mid-twentieth-century commemmorative three-stage bell tower over gate of St. Nicholas’ Church of Ireland Church (HB22/08/001A) incorporating a sandstone arched gate of 1831 and situated in the south-east corner of the church boundary wall. The gateway spans a pedestrian path which provides access to the church from Market Place leading through the churchyard to the Lancasterian Street entrance. It is well proportioned and detailed and contributes positively to the architectural group which has St Nicholas church as the centre point.

General comments

Previously HB22/08/026.