Conlig Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A double-height neo-Romanesque style Presbyterian Church, built c.1848, located on the west side of Main Street, Conlig. Rectangular-on-plan with full-height breakfront vestibule to front (east), original two-storey vestry to west; twentieth-century extensions to rear (west) and to north.

Pitched natural slate roof with angled clay ridge tiles and uPVC rainwater goods over cavetto moulded sandstone eaves. Chimneystack with octagonal terracotta pots to vestry. Principal gables have projecting ashlar sandstone verges, rising at the vestibule to a central belfry (with bell) consisting of a clock set into a square base over machicolated mouldings, surmounted by a crenellated bellcote with round-headed apertures and flanked by four angled pinnacles. Walling is greywacke (Scrabo sandstone dressings) built to courses in places, with some snecking, all in lime render. Ashlar sandstone dressings to projecting plinth. Corners have angle buttresses with gableted tops rising above eaves to octagonal pinnacles topped with pointed finials. The main gable and other elevations are flanked by ashlar sandstone piers. Windows are round-headed stained and leaded glass (polycarbonate glazing over) with sandstone dressings, splayed cills and hood moulding. The entrance door is double-leaf Gothic panelled with cast-iron knobs, set in a chamfered sandstone reveal flanked by slender collonettes supporting a hood mould, accessed by two curved stone steps.

Principal (east) gable elevation faces the road and is dominated by a breakfront full-height vestibule containing central door surmounted by a tripartite window; all openings are contained within a slender bead-moulded frame with Lombardic detailing to head. The vestibule cheeks each have a multi-pane Y-tracery timber window, surmounted by a decorative quatrefoil style window in stone surround. Exposed sections of main gable are blank.

South elevation is four windows wide.

Rear elevation is abutted by the vestry, which is in turn almost completely abutted by the modern extension. South cheek has a timber Y-tracery window and a timber sheeted door with semi-circular glazed fanlight, set in stone surround and accessed by two stone steps. North cheek is abutted by the modern hall.

North elevation is as south but is abutted by the hall at right side.

The hall is of no interest, but creates a link between the church and a former schoolhouse which is located to the north west corner of the site. The schoolhouse is T-shaped on plan with gable ends and projecting gable to front; roof is natural slate with plastic rainwater goods on ashlar sandstone eaves, Walling is rock-faced squared sandstone with ashlar quoins. Windows are timber casements in plain sandstone surrounds, lancet-headed to gables, which also have a trefoil window to apex.

Setting

The church is set back from the road on Main Street. There is lawn to south and a gravel car park to north. The site is bounded to the road by a low basalt rubble wall. To west is a reservoir accessed by a grassed bank.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Stone
Windows: Stained glass
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The church was built in 1848 (McKee) with funds supplied by John Sinclair (in whose memory Sinclair Seamen’s Church was later built) and is shown, captioned, on the second edition OS map of 1858. There had been a previous Presbyterian meeting house in the area which was present in 1753, but this former church is not captioned on the first edition OS map of 1833 and was said to be a ruin in 1867. (McKee, p.8; Reid, p.307)

The church is listed in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) as a Presbyterian Church and graveyard valued at £34.10s for the church and 10s for the graveyard. There are no changes in Annual Revisions.

The need for a new church followed an expansion in population due to the revival of lead mining in the area in 1827. Mining had first been attempted in 1780 and failed because of flooding, but improved technology led to an industry which employed up to 400 workers at its peak. The population of the area was, as a consequence, much higher than it is today. The mines were sold and closed in 1865. (History of Congregations; Patton, p.135; McCutcheon, p.231)

The church is linked by a modern hall to the old school which was established in 1833. A plaque on the front facade states that the belfry and clock were added in 1930, and that the bell was replaced in September 1982. In the 1950’s an additional room was provided in the church by closing off the back gallery. (Patton, p.135; McKee, p.51)

In 1979 the church installed a Binns, Fetton and Hailey organ from Elmwood Presbyterian Church in Belfast which had been removed from that church when it was sold to Queen’s University. In order to accommodate it a gallery above the entrance vestibule was removed and a new wall inserted. At this time the choir box was also removed and the platform area extended. Conlig church was also given the stained glass windows from Elmwood which were gradually restored and installed in the church from 1981-2. (McKee, p.60-1)

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/2/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
2.PRONI OS/6/3/2/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
3.PRONI OS/6/3/2/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-26
4.PRONI OS/6/3/2/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
5.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/2 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
6.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7.PRONI VAL/12/B/23/7A-K – Annual Revisions (1866-99)
8.PRONI VAL/12/B/23/8A-C – Annual Revisions (1894-1923)

Secondary Sources

1.“A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982” authorised by the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, 1982 (available at
www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com)
2.Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002
3.McCutcheon, W.A. “The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland,” London: HMSO, 1980.
4.McKee, WJH “Kirk and People, A History of Presbyterianism in Conlig”, 1998
5.Patton, M, “Bangor, An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1999
6.Reid, James Seaton “History of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland” Belfast: William Mullan, 1867
7.www.stonedatabase.com

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A neo-Romanesque style Presbyterian church, dating from c.1848. The church is well proportioned and characterised by greywacke rubble masonry enlivened by sandstone ornamentation appropriate to the style. Although a large modern extension has been constructed linking the church to the former school house, it does not detract significantly from its special interest. The interior is plainly detailed in the traditional Presbyterian manner and retains original box pews and pulpit. The building is the only church in the village and has significant local importance.