Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey Presbyterian church, originally built in 1822 as a relatively plain gabled structure with simple gothick detailing, but much altered and extended in subsequent years, with the addition of a large two storey porch in 1894, an equally large but squat looking entrance tower in 1975, and a very large modern style two storey hall complex in 1999. With the construction of the hall and the tower the whole building has both doubled in size and taken on a modern appearance, with only the odd elements of gothick detailing giving some indication of the original 1820s church. The building is sited somewhat dramatically just to the N of the town centre on the sea side of the Shore Road.

To the S side is the two storey tower porch. This is joined to the S face of the 1894 porch by a single storey linking corridor. The tower is square in plan. The ground floor has a plain pyramidal capped buttress to each corner. To the top of the ground floor level is a decorative projecting moulding. To the centre of the S face is a pointed arched doorway with a plain moulded surround while to the first floor is a tall lancet window. The E and W faces each have a lancet window, as before, to the first floor with a similar but shorter window to the ground floor. The N face abuts the linking passage obscuring the ground floor in the process. To the first floor is a small square headed blind opening. The W face of the linking corridor has a pointed arch headed window while the S face is completely glazed.

To the W face of the church proper is a gabled porch (1894) which is set slightly lower than the gable of the original building. The lower face of the porch is framed with plain buttresses and has rusticated render to the ground floor area. To the first floor are two evenly spaced pointed arch headed windows. Between the windows is a small plaque (painted ?stone) which is so eroded that only the date of 1894 is legible. The plaque undoubtedly referrers to the building of the gabled porch. The gable has a stone coping which returns at each side to create a split pediment effect. To the centre of the tympanum is a further plaque. This is inscribed ‘Erected Anno Domini 1822 Rev. William Skelly Pastor’. It would seem that this was displaced with the building of the 1894 porch and was repositioned at that time. From a slight distance the upper portion of the original gable is visible. It has simple Gothick pinnacles to each side and a moulded string course following the line of the gable verge (but set slightly lower). To the apex is a small roundel feature.

To the far left is a modern extension containing a complex of halls, meeting rooms etc. The entrance foyer of this building gives access to the first floor of the 1894 porch and thence to the gallery within the main church The W face of this section has a right of centre and recessed, two storey gabled glazed entrance bay. To the left are two modern windows to ground floor and two to the first floor. To the right there is one first floor window. Each side is framed by plain plasters and have rusticated render to the ground floor.

The S façade has a central and slightly projecting gabled bay with a split pediment as before. To the centre of the lower section of the tympanum is a round plaque, as before (i.e. as the 1822 plaque to front). The central bay has three pointed arch headed windows while to either side there is a single similar window.

The E facade of the original church section is symmetrical with a pointed arch headed window, as before, to each side and a split pedimented gable also as before. Between the windows but set at a lower level is a small blind window. Again there is a round inscription plaque (as before) with a small roundel feature to the apex of the roof. The facade is framed with reducing squared buttresses which rise to support pyramidal pinnacles. The right hand section of the E elevation comprises the rear of the recent hall extension. It projects forward from the left side and is asymmetrical with a large semicircular headed window to the first floor and four small windows to the ground floor. To the exposed S face is a modern steel fire escape which exits from the modern extension.

The walls are finished with smooth render which is rusticated in parts. The gabled roof is covered with slate and rw goods are cast iron.

Historical information

The original section of this church was built in 1822 at a cost of £600 ‘paid for by subscription’. It is shown on the OS map of 1834 as a square building. In 1861 an L-shaped single storey school house was built to the north side of the church, linking to it at the north-eastern corner. In 1894 the large gabled porch was added to the front and, inside, the gallery added. The ceiling may have been replaced at this time also. The original gothick traceried window frames were replaced with leaded lights in c.1926. In 1975 the building was completely renovated and the entrance tower added to the south. By this stage the former school house to the north, having ceased to be used as a school, had become the church hall. It served as such until 1998 when it was demolished and the much larger hall complex built in its place.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL 1B/32 p.3 1st valuation, Donaghadee, c.1834-6. [The valuation for the town of Donaghadee (unlike others of this period) does not provide the dimensions, nor give an indication of the age of the buildings.]
2 PRONI VAL/1D/3/16 First valuation town plan of Donaghadee
3 ‘OS memoirs of Ireland’ vol.7, ed Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), p.47
4 PRONI OS/8/8/1/1-9 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1859
5 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation Donaghadee parish, Donaghadee, 1863.
6 PRONI VAL/12E/121/1/1-9 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1864-1908
7 PRONI OS/8/8/2//1-3 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1901
8 PRONI VAL/12E/121/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1908-35
9 PRONI VAL/3G/69/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1932-56
10 PRONI VAL/3G/69/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1934-43

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey Presbyterian church, originally built in 1822 as a relatively plain gabled structure with simple gothick detailing, but much altered and extended in subsequent years, with the addition of a large two storey porch in 1894, an equally large but squat looking entrance tower in 1975, and a very large modern style two storey hall complex in 1999. With the construction of the hall and the tower the whole building has both doubled in size and taken on a somewhat sharp modern appearance, with only the odd elements of gothick detailing giving some indication of the original 1820s church.

The church hall section stands on the site of a single storey school house of 1861, demolished in 1998.