Ballygrainey Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Simple two storey hipped roof Presbyterian church of 1837, set on the E side of Gransha Road, c.4 miles NE of Newtownards.

The front façade faces S. In the centre to the ground floor is the main entrance. This consists of recent looking panelled timber doors with a semicircular fanlight with radial / spider web tracery. The door and fanlight are encased with Gibbsian pilasters.. There are two semicircular (podium-like) concrete steps with a wheel chair access ramp to the left (W) with modern hand rail. Above the doorway is a projecting lamp. Above this is an inscribed roundel (‘Bethel- Erected Anno Domini 1837’).

The façade has edge pilasters with square channelled render and cushion-like capitals. There are two, slightly narrower, ‘inner’ pilasters also.

The W façade has four square, evenly spaced, ground floor windows with Georgian paned sash frames (8 over 8). To the first floor are four similar sized semicircular headed windows, also with Georgian panes. At the very left hand edge of this façade there projects a modern (1957-59) single storey extension (which in turn links to a very large gabled extension attached to the rear of the original church).

The main E façade is as W façade (but without the attached extension).

The rear is largely obscured by the large hall extension (originally built 1958-59 with minor hall added 1979-80). Only the upper portion of the façade is exposed which is blank.

The entire façade of the original building is finished in lined render with in/out quoins to the E, W and S facades. There is an arched recess to the rear façade. Chamfered plinth to entire building. The hipped roof is covered in natural slate. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

The Ballygrainey Presbyterian congregation was established in late 1836 and this church a few months afterward. In c.1864 a session room was added to the rear of the building and the stair to the gallery replaced. The session room appears to have been rebuilt in 1880, but in 1958-59 was demolished and the new, much larger hall built in its place. A minor hall was added in 1979-80.

References- secondary sources
1 Rev. Thomas Kilpatrick et al ‘Ballygrainey Presbyterian Church 1837-1987- An account of the past 150 years’ (Church publication 1987).

More detailed history to follow with the survey of the whole ward.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Good quality simple late Georgian two storey hipped roof Presbyterian church of 1837.