St. Andrew’s Parish (C of I) Church,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey, snecked rubble built, gabled church in an early medieval Irish style with sandstone dressed chamfered ‘gothic’ window and door openings and buttresses at main corners. The church is set on a slight rise and surrounded by a walled graveyard, off the Main Road within the townland of Ballyesborough, a mile south of Balyhalbert.

SE elevation has a small gabled porch to the left with flush sandstone quoins. Plain timber sheeted entrance door in gable of porch set in chamfered archivolt with label moulding. Small pointed arch window to right side of porch, with small diamond leaded panes. Two twinned sets of similar but larger windows (with flush relieving arch over) to SE elevation of main church.

Rear NE gable is mainly taken up with large centred gabled projection which has triple lancet window with stained glass and flush relieving arch, to its gable.

NW elevation has three sets of twinned windows as SE elevation, with a small lean to projection attached to far left side of main NW wall of church and the NW side of the gabled projection to the rear. Paired windows as before but smaller to NW elevation of projection with similar single window and small lean to rendered extension to NE side and plain timber sheeted door, in shoulder arch, to SW side.

SW gable of main church has central paired pointed arch windows with roundel window in tympanum and flush relieving arch. Large bellcote with bell to SW gable.

Chamfered plinth, eaves course and raised pointing to entire building. Roofs pitched with Bangor blue slates and stone parapets and cast iron gutters and down spouts.

Historical information

This church was built in 1850 to serve the needs of the growing populations of near by Ballyhalbert and Portavogie. The small surrounding graveyard has headstones dating to 1856.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Revision, 1860, Co. Down 18.

Secondary sources
1 R.S.J. Clarke (compiler) 'Gravestone Inscriptions Vol.15, County Down, Barony of Ards' (U.H.F. Belfast 1975), p.1.

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
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Small, rubble-built parish church of 1850 in an early Irish/gothic style. The exterior appears completely intact, whilst the interior, though possibly refurbished on several occasions, is probably little altered and remains neat and charming.