Holy Trinity Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A double-height basalt Church of Ireland church, built 1857 to designs by Francis Farrell of Dublin, extended 1886 by William Batt. It is aligned SW-NE to the west side of Seahill Road, Craigavad. Rectangular on plan with three-stage tower to SW, later chancel to NE, side chapel (1921) and vestry (1975) to NW, and later lean-to vestibule (1976) to SW end.

Roof is pitched natural slate with roll-topped clay ridge tiles, stepped ashlar sandstone verges on carved kneeler stones with quatrefoil detail. There is a gabled finial to each end and cross finial to chancel. Rainwater goods are profiled aluminium on projecting stone eaves. Walling is primarily uncoursed basalt rubble (with some isolated snecking) supported by offset buttresses; sandstone dressings including plinth, cill course, quoins and offsets. Windows are stained and leaded in chamfered sandstone surrounds. Nave is lit primarily by paired lancets (triple to west end) with tooled ashlar relieving arches over; remainder (including that to chancel) are cusped tracery windows having hood mould with carved foliated stops. Tower is lit by lancets with diamond latticed glazing. Orientation below is ecclesiastical.

South elevation faces the road and is abutted by the three-stage tower; lower two stages are square (with string course between floors); top corners are angled to support an octagonal third stage with oversized louvred arrow loop openings. The tower is topped by a weathercock on a pointed pavilion roof with heather-coloured fishscale banding, over a second string course and frieze decorated by quatrefoil motifs. Tower entrance faces south and comprises a double-leaf gothic diagonally-sheeted varnished pine door with wrought-iron strap hinges, set in a deeply chamfered sandstone surround with rebated colonette jambs (all new stone) and sandstone threshold. To either side of tower are two windows, irregularly spaced.

Principal entrance is at west gable, which has a triple lancet over a lean-to vestibule. The vestibule is primarily twentieth-century fabric with stone cladding but has a gabled centrepiece containing a door detailed as south (original stone, with plastic repairs), with worn sandstone threshold. Vestibule is lit by a small pointed arch window to either side.

North elevation has three windows, and is abutted to left end by a single-storey vestry with shouldered diagonally-sheeted pine door to west cheek and window to north. The vestry is in turn abutted at left corner by the side chapel (see below).

East gable is abutted by the chancel, which is lit by a traceried window to east and south (that to east is larger, that to south has a raised gable over); north side has a single cusped window and is abutted by the side chapel, which is detailed as house and is lit to east.

Setting

The church is set in a declivity with lawn to south, enclosed to the road by a modern rubble stone boundary wall and with trees to remaining boundaries There is a gravelled perimeter and modern church hall to east, and a war memorial in the form of a rock-faced cut stone Celtic cross set to the south lawn.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Basalt rubble
Windows: stained leaded
RWG: Ogee aluminium

Historical information

This church was built in 1857 to designs by Francis Farrell on a new site, a previous church building dating back to at least 1306, being sited about 1 mile to the west.

The church is not shown on the second edition OS map of 1858 but it is listed in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) as a ‘church and yard’, valued at £50. It has dimensions of 18x10x1?, 6x4x1 and 3x4x1 with a cellar of 3x4x?. The valuer notes, ‘Church vested in trustees. Was built by subscriptions.’

The diocesan history tells us that the church “was built in 1857...the architect was Francis Farrell of Dublin, a son of William Farrell who had been architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. A plank of wood, treasured in the church safe, carries the names of the builder, architect and six other labourers, dated 20 November 1857...By 1886, it was necessary to provide additional accommodation and the decision was taken to lengthen the nave to designs by William Batt”. The Irish Builder of 15th October 1886 goes into some detail with regard to this extension, stating that due to the prohibitive cost of a new chancel and transepts, it was decided to lengthen the church by two bays westward and arrange the choir in a new position. “The roof is supported on framed and chamfered principals, having curved spandrils, resting on moulded and carved cut stone corbels built in walls. The position of the pulpit has been changed, and a handsome reading desk has taken the place of the former somewhat cumbrous one. The fittings are of pitch pine, arranged to harmonise with original building and are stained and varnished. The new windows are glazed with diamond panes of cathedral glass, in varied tints, in metal frames, and greatly improve the interior appearance of the building; and it was found necessary to have the remaining sashes glazed similarly…New polished brass fittings have been fixed for lamps. The walls are built of blue whinstone from the vicinity…and the dressings are cut stone from the Scrabo quarries…The general contract has been executed by Mr William Nimick, of Holywood…and the carving was done by Mr Malcolm. The whole of the works have been finished in a very satisfactory manner, according to the drawings and specification prepared by the architect, Mr William Batt, of Garfield Chambers, Royal-avenue, Belfast and under his superintendence.” (Rankin, Leslie and Swanzy, p.113)

The chancel was enlarged in 1921 by the firm of Blackwood and Jury, the designs being carried out by Percy Morgan Jury. This work was again reported by the Irish Builder which states that the contractors were Messrs Courtney and Co, Belfast. “The outside walls are built of blue stone to correspond with existing work and the dressings of the windows etc are of Cullaloe stone. A new organ is being supplied by Messrs H.S. Vincent and Co, Sunderland.”

In 1975 a side chapel was added and a new pipe organ installed in 1967. (Rankin, Leslie and Swanzy, p.113). The porch to the western facade of the church, which was added in 1976, appears, on field inspection, to have included an earlier door and surround. Map evidence suggests that this door may previously have been incorporated into the body of the church, possibly from the tower, the surround of which is newly constructed.

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
3.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
4.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
5.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
6.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
8.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
9.Irish Builder, Vol 28, 15 October 1886, p.284
10.Irish Builder, Vol 63, 29 January 1921, p.73)

Secondary Sources

1.Rankin, F., Leslie, Canon, J.B., Swanzy, Dean H.B. “Clergy of Down and Dromore” Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1996

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Holy Trinity Church is an attractive double-height basalt Church of Ireland church, built in 1857 to designs by Francis Farrell of Dublin. The church does not conform to standard Church of Ireland typology, dominated by a well-detailed three-stage tower, offset from the centre of the long wall to south. It has undergone various phases of remodelling, articulated through variation in stonework and window detailing, and adding interest to the structure. The interior is plain, although retains a large amount of historic fabric, including figurative corbels supporting the scissor-braced roof. Pleasantly located in a declivity, the church forms an important and historic part of the suburban fabric of Craigavad, having social importance within the area.