Kircubbin Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Largely plain rectangular gabled church set near the shore of Strangford Lough off Main Street in the town of Kircubbin and surrounded by a graveyard.

Front E gable has central double timber panelled door encased with pilasters with multi pane PVC ‘sidelights’ separated from door by the aforementioned pilasters, with narrower ‘half’ pilasters to outer sides of windows with simple entablature above each. Between entablatures (and directly above door) is inscribed panel. Cornice stretches above entablatures and above inscribed panel, centred above which is semi-circular arch ‘radial’ ‘fanlight’. The ‘spokes’ of this fanlight are in fact a metal frame placed in front of the glass and do not constitute a window frame. Door, ‘sidelights’, ‘fanlight’ etc. all enclosed by two ‘rusticated’ pilasters and a slightly projecting pediment above. On either side of this pedimented arrangement is small ground floor nine pane PVC window, with slightly larger upper level PVC window, directly above, topped with cornice hood on curled brackets. Simple panel between ground and first floor windows. Chamfered quoins to front gable. Small chimney stack with pot at gable apex.

N side has three evenly spaced tall narrow eight pane PVC windows, with similar arrangement to S side.

W gable has two widely spaced tall and extremely narrow stained glass windows. Render to right side of W gable has come off revealing rubble construction with brick dressings to window.

Entire facade finished in plain render and unpainted, with chamfered plinth to entire building.

Roof pitched with Bangor blue slates and stone parapets, mixture of cast iron and PVC gutters and down spouts.

Graveyard around church with headstones dating mainly from the latter half of the nineteenth, and twentieth century. Low rubble wall around graveyard with cast iron gates.

Historical information

The Presbyterian congregation of Kircubbin was founded in 1777, after separating from that of Ballyhalbert, with prominent local families such as the Wards and Baillies originally contributing to the expenses the first Minister, Rev. George Brydone. The original church was built in the same year and is shown (on this site) on the OS map of 1834 as a ‘T’ shaped structure. The OS Memoirs (also c.1834) described the building as being of ‘the plainest of architecture’ measuring 78 by 48 feet, with 167 pews each holding six people. The church was rebuilt in 1861 by the energetic Rev. James Rowan, who had built the manse a year previously. The front gable was reconstructed in 1953, with one larger entrance taking the place of two smaller former doors, and some restrained decoration added. The PVC windows were installed c.1992.

References- Primary sources
1 Pigot & Co.s “City of Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory” (Manchester 1824), pp. 417-18. [Description of the town of Kircubbin etc. in c.1824. See also Slater’s “Directory” for 1846, 1856 and 1870, original copies of which are currently held at the Linenhall Library, Belfast.]
2 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition, 1834, Co. Down 18.
3 Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), p. 84-5. [c.1834]
4 PRONI VAL 1B/311A & B 1st valuation, Inishargy, c.1835.
5 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st revision, 1860, Co. Down 18.
6 PRONI 2nd valuation, Inishargy, c.1863.

Secondary sources
1 Rev. C.H. Hunter ‘Kircubbin Presbyterian Church’ in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.14' (1990), pp. 26-31. [Article originally written in 1936.]
2 Rev. W.D. Bailie ' The Story of Glastry Congregation' (Belfast 1977), pp. 18-20.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Plain, simple and largely unremarkable Presbyterian church of 1861, built on the site of an earlier eighteenth century structure. The front gable was reconstructed in 1953. The setting of this church near the shore of Strangford Lough, has been diminished in recent times with the building nearby of a modern warehouse/factory and houses.