St Michael's Church of Ireland

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Free-standing gable-fronted double-height red brick Church of Ireland church, dated. 1898, built to designs by Samuel P. Close. Rectangular-on-plan facing south abutted by lean-to porch at west and two-stage tower at east. Modern extension at north built c.1910, constructed from grey engineering brick. Located on a spacious site to the north side of Craven Road, Belfast.

Pitched natural slate roof (bellcast over side-aisles) with terracotta clay ridge tiles, lead-valleys, stone verges and acroter, cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on corbelled brick eaves course. Flemish bonded red brick walling with projecting brick plinth course. Sandstone continuous string course at sill level and double-height stepped angle buttresses with offsets and stone weathering. Windows are equilateral-arched cusped lancets formed in chamfered brick surround with plain stop chamfer and voussoirs, containing leaded stained glass covered externally by reinforced storm glazing (unless otherwise stated).

Gabled south front elevation comprises projecting bay at centre with angle buttresses and bi-partite geometric tracery window at centre, flanked by two smaller tracery windows at each side. Apex contains date stone which reads ‘1898’. Left cheek (enclosing internal angle), is abutted by single-storey lean-to porch of similar detailing, containing at south an equilateral-arched double-inset sandstone door opening with hood mould and stepped quoins, having sheeted timber door with iron furniture. Door opens onto concrete steps and ramped access. West elevation of porch contains a single square headed window; paired windows (diminished) to exposed left cheek of projecting gable above lean-to roof. Right cheek (enclosing internal angle), is abutted by two-stage tower with bellcast natural slate pyramidal roof with copper finial.

West nave elevation is five bays wide. Four bays at right (lighting the nave) each contain three windows. Fifth bay at left is divided by smaller angle buttress with off-set and contains double timber sheeted entrance door at right surmounted by single window and single window at left. Single-storey lean-to oil-tank storage at left.

Gabled north chancel elevation has, at centre, five staged lancet leaded coloured glass windows with continuous splayed ashlar sill (no protection to chancel windows). Brick chimney above left lancet window. At left a segmental-headed timber window at ground floor (Vestry) is surmounted by a square-headed window at first floor (organ loft). At right, church is abutted by modern extension.

East nave is detailed as west.

Two-stage tower having slated spire with bellcast eaves over stone eaves cornice. South elevation contains an equilateral-arched double-inset sandstone door opening with hood mould and stepped quoins, sheeted timber door with iron furniture, surmounted by double-geometric tracery window at second stage. Tower is abutted at east by double-height circular tower with semi-conical roof surmounted by single louvered lancet opening at second stage. Circular tower contains single square-headed window at ground floor with quadripartite arrangement of four-centred arched windows with sandstone surround at second stage. Louvered lancet opening at north, second stage.

Setting

Set on a open urban site to the north of the Craven Road, off Shankill Road. Modern hall constructed at north-west corner of site with access to small car park via original cast-iron gates (paint finish removed) supported on brick piers at south. Railings supported on brick plinth wall with chamfered coping. Pedestrian access via two pedestrian cast-iron gates at south of main church building.

Roof Natural Slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Dutch bonded brick
Windows Equilateral-arched cusped lancets

Historical information

St Michael’s Church of Ireland was opened in 1899 and built to the designs of Belfast based architect, Samuel. P. Close.

The church is first shown on the third edition OS map (1901-2), in a setting of narrow residential streets built to accommodate the expanding mid 19th century population of the Shankill area. The church occupies the end block of a street, enclosed to the rear by terraced housing.

The ‘site of St Michael’s Church’ is first noted in the Annual Revisions (1897-1905) but no valuation is listed, indicating that the building was under construction. The lessor is noted as Mr. James McIntyre and the builder was James Kidd. The architect Samuel. P. Close trained under Belfast firm Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon and is noted for designing a number of churches in Belfast, including St Peter’s Church of Ireland (HB26/46/015) and Fisherwick Presbyterian (HB26/17/014) (DIA). Internally, the church had four stained glass windows, two of which were by Clokey and Co, one by W.J Douglas and Sons and the final one unsigned (HB File). The Belfast Revaluations (1900) describe the church as ‘new’ with the cost of construction listed as £3,000 and a valuation of £145. Included with this initial valuation are a number of two storey properties to the rear, which are described as ‘old’. The Belfast Street Directories (1902-1976) indicate that a number of these rear properties were vacant from 1902-1909 but from 1910 onward the area is described as ‘St Michael’s Recreation Hall’. The hall is valued at £256 in the second General Revaluation (1956-72). Alterations were made to the church in 1939 by William Taggart, perhaps accounting for a rise in valuation, to £552 in the second General Revaluation (1956-72) (DIA). A number of external repairs were also carried out during the late 20th century (HB File).

The Belfast Church Extension and Endowment Society was founded in 1863 to provide church accommodation for the expanding Church of Ireland congregation. St Michael’s church was constructed during the second wave of this building phase. Following Pugin’s proclamation of Gothic being the only true ‘Christian’ style, the Church of Ireland adopted an ‘ecclesiological’ approach, informing the application of Gothic in their church design (Walker). However, the disestablished church often chose to omit the more elaborate elements embraced in England, resulting in the more restrained form evident in the design of St Michael’s church (Brett).

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2- First Edition OS Map (1832-33)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3- Second Edition OS Map (1858)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4- Third Edition OS Map (1901-2)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6- Fourth Edition OS Map (1931)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/28- Annual Revisions (1897-1905)
6. PRONI VAL/7/B/2/13- Belfast Revaluations (1900)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/G2- Annual Revisions (1905-16)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/G4- Annual Revisions (1916-30)
9. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/7- First General Revaluation (1935)
10. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/7- Second General Revaluation (1956-72)
11. The Ulster Street Directories 1887-1935
12. HB File (HB26/35/008)

Secondary Sources

1. Walker, Simon “Historic Ulster Churches” QUB, Belfast (2000)
2. Curl, James, Stevens “Classical Churches in Ulster” UAHS, Belfast (1980)
3. Larmour, P “Belfast, An Illustrated Architectural Guide” 1987
4. Brett, C.E.B “ The Buildings of Belfast 1700-1914” 1985 ed.
5. Boal, Frederick & Royle, Stephen “Enduring City: Belfast in the Twentieth Century” Blackstaff Press, Belfast (2006)
6. www.dia.ie - Dictionary of Irish Architects online
7. Henshaw, W.B “Biographical Dictionary of the Organ” (2003-12) http://www.organ-biography.info/organs.php?id=Ireland_Belfast_NelsonMemorialChurch
8. HB File (HB26/35/008) Description of St Michael’s Church (1991)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A free-standing gable-fronted red brick Church of Ireland church, dated. 1898, built to designs by William P. Close. Rectangular-on-plan facing south abutted by lean-to porch at west and two-stage tower at east. Modern extension at north built c.1910, constructed from grey engineering brick. The church plan, much original fabric and detailing survive. Its character is free from elaborate decoration both externally and internally the church is defined by a moderate and understated design. The originally tight urban setting, once surrounded by terraced housing to all sides has undergone large-scale redevelopment with many houses removed. This is a good example of a late Victorian city church by an architect of note in original condition.