Christ Church (C of I)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single storey gothic church with chancel projection, tower and spire, originally built in 1842, with tower and spire added in 1859. The church is set on top of a slight rise at the end of a long tree lined lane, S of the Woburn Road, to the W of Carrowdore.

The main walls are in snecked rubble with sandstone dressings, with the tower, chancel and side porch in sandstone. The nave, chancel and porch roofs are gabled with Bangor blue slates and stone parapets. The three storey buttressed tower is to the N gable.

On the ground floor of the N facade of the tower is the main entrance which consists of a timber sheeted double door set in a pointed arch headed opening with chamfered reveal with floral capped columns to each jamb. Over the doorway is a gable shaped ‘drip stone’ moulding with finial with carved angels at gable ends and small carved roundel near gable apex (from which an iron lamp now projects).

Above the gable is a visually ‘long winded’ inscription panel (a dedication to Harriet Dunbar), with a carved angel to each side. Middle storey of tower has small pointed arch window with stone tracery, label moulding and carved head stops. Upper storey has twinned pointed arch openings with linked label moulding with carved ‘head’ stops and carved angel where label moulding joins. Each opening contains four (louvered) lights with cusped trefoil heads and tracery in fill. At the head of the tower is a cusped frieze. The tower is topped with an octagonal spire with cast iron cross finial. The E and W faces of the tower are the same as the N, but with small ‘roundel’ window, with trefoil opening to ground floor. The exposed upper level of the S face of the tower is same as N also.

To either side of the tower, on the N gable of the nave, is a pointed arch recess, with rubble in fill.

Both the E and W facades of the nave have three pointed arch head windows with raised and chamfered surrounds. Some windows have stained glass, others have plain ‘diamond’ panes, and there is also a variety of frame style.

The N gable of the nave is buttressed.

The E facade of the chancel has a pointed arch window with ‘Y’ tracery and quatrefoil to the right with a buttress to the left.

The rear gable of the chancel is also buttressed and has a large central four light window, with four lights, intricate tracery and stained glass.

The exposed W facade is blank.

Attached to the left side of the E facade of the chancel and the SW corner of the nave is a small gabled projection in sandstone. To the S facade of this projection is a timber sheeted door set in a deep recess with pointed arch head. To the immediate left of this is a buttressed chimney breast topped with a decorative sandstone chimney pot. To the left of the chimney breast is a tiny trefoil window. To the (W) gable of this projection is a pointed arch window opening containing two lights and quatrefoil. The N facade of the projection is blank.

Original looking wrought iron gates to N of church. Graveyard to E of church with headstones dating back to 1843. Small recently built church office (with kitchen and toilets), to W of church with rubble walls, hipped roof and pointed arch windows.

The traces of arched stonework on the walls of the nave could suggest that transepts may have been part of the original plan for this church.

Historical information

This church was built in 1843 to designs by William Farrell.

The creation of the parish of Carrowdore was largely the work of the then Primate, Lord John George Beresford, whose niece was married to George Dunbar of nearby Woburn House. The land for the church was donated by Nicholas de La Cherois- Crommelin of Carrowdore Castle and the building constructed largely at the expense of Beresford himself.

Initially the church comprised of a simple nave and small chancel, but there is evidence to suggest that a tower and larger nave were part of the Primate’s original intention. It was not until 1859/60 that a tower and spire was added, this time to designs by Charles Lanyon and William Lynn, who in a letter to George Dunbar in September 1859, stated that ‘we have not made it very elaborate in its ornament as it would not be in character with the rest of the building’. Presumably the small rear projection was added at this stage also (and possibly the chancel enlarged). The tower is dedicated to Archbishop Beresford’s niece, Harriet Dunbar, who died in 1859.

The graveyard to the E of the church contains (among others) the grave of poet Louis McNeice.

References- Primary sources.
1 PRONI CR1/50 Correspondence relating to the Parish of Carrowdore, 1837-1874 [This collections includes letters concerning the building of the church, with letters from Lanyon and Lynn etc.]
2 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps 1st Revision 1858-60, Down 7.

Secondary sources
1 Susan E. Pack-Beresford 'Christ Church Carrowdore' (Belfast 1994).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Relatively uncomplicated, rubble-built, gothic parish church of 1843 by William Farrell, with tower by Lanyon and Lynn added in 1859. The church is picturesquely sighted on a slight rise with a tree-lined drive to the road and is a fine exampl of a mid 19th century parish church.