88 Clifton Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Attached two-storey gabled stone former cloister building, built c.1888, to the designs of James John Phillips by Alderman James Carlisle, as part of the Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church complex (HB26/50/091A & B). Formerly connecting the former church to the former Sunday school and set back between both buildings with enclosed front on the south side of Clifton Street.

Pitched natural slate roofs with roll-moulded terracotta ridge tiles and a tall redbrick and stone chimneystack rising from the south side elevation. Roof set behind slightly raised front gable with stone coping surmounted by fleur-de-lys finial, kneeler stones and cast-iron guttering to stepped brick eaves course and cast-iron downpipes. Coursed rock-faced limestone walling with red sandstone trims to front elevation, redbrick walling laid in Flemish bond to side and rear elevations. Red sandstone multi-light framed windows with splayed sandstone sills and some leaded glazing.

Front elevation comprises a central gabled two-storey block fronted by a single-storey advanced wing and a further two-storey connecting wing to the north. Three-sided canted bay window to the gable with a steeply pitched natural slate roof, trefoil-headed lights with transoms and leaded coloured glazing to the overlights. The first floor of the connecting wing has a window with three shouldered-headed lights having transoms. The advanced single-storey wing has large pointed-headed window openings flanked by weathered buttresses each having three lancets set within red sandstone tracery, splayed sills and largely replacement glazing. Central gabled doorcase with decorative coping and flanked by pair of gableted piers. Trefoil-headed door opening with compound arch and double-leaf vertically-sheeted hardwood doors with decorative iron furniture. Door opens onto single step to front paved area.

South side elevation has a single lancet to the upper floor and two later square-headed window openings.

Two-storey rear elevation is partly gabled with a pair of lancets to the first floor and oval panel to the centre all having a stone string course running across the parapet to the northernmost bay. Triple-light square-headed window opening to the north bay and paired square-headed window openings to the ground floor. Pointed-arched door opening to the left formed in gauged brick with replacement double-leaf sheeted hardwood doors and overlight.

North side elevation obscured by neighbouring buildings with paired square-headed window openings visible with some original coloured leaded glazing and some uPVC replacements.

Setting

Set on an elevated site as part of the Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church complex on the south side of Clifton Street and enclosed to
the street by decorative iron railings and gates on limestone plinth wall and red sandstone piers with tapered capstones. Relocated font in
setting to the north-east of cloisters, of limestone and sandstone.

Roof: Natural slate
RWG : Cast-iron
Walling: Sandstone ashlar / limestone ashlar
Windows: Lancets

Historical information

No. 88 Clifton Street, an attached two-storey former ancillary church accommodation, situated between Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church (HB26/50/091A) and the adjoining church hall (HB26/50/091B), was constructed along with the church hall between 1888 and 1889, approximately 15 years after the completion of the adjacent church. The Irish Builder records that the complex, which was designed in a similar Gothic style to the church, consisted of Sunday school rooms, a lecture hall, a church parlour, and the cloisters which formed the link between the two main buildings. The architect was James John Phillips (1841/42-1936), a Belfast-based architect who was also skilled as a water-colourist and provided most of the perspective drawing for John Lanyon (Charles Lanyon’s son). The Dictionary of Irish Architects records that from the 1880s until the early-20th century Phillips ‘was the preferred, perhaps even the official, architect of the Methodist church in the north of Ireland, designing or altering at least seventeen Methodist churches in Belfast and the northern counties.’ The builder contracted to carry out Phillips design was Henry Laverty & Sons (Irish Builder; Dictionary of Irish Architects).

When completed the Carlisle Memorial Hall and Sunday school, also including the Cloisters, were jointly valued at £300 in the Annual Revisions; there was no alteration to the site until the 1900 Belfast Revaluation. In that year the valuer noted that the complex consisted of 20 rooms and was fitted throughout with gas installations; the value of the hall and link building, although exempt from taxation, was raised to £380. There was no further change to the value of the hall by the end of the Annual Revisions for Court Ward (this ward was cancelled in 1915 despite the remainder of Belfast’s electoral wards continuing to be included in the valuation project until 1930).

The church hall and cloisters were not revalued until the First General Revaluation of property in Northern Ireland which was carried out in 1935 and rated the building at £680. Like the church, the adjoining buildings survived the Belfast Blitz of 1941 receiving only superficial damage; the Church History notes that ‘many carved stone ornaments were shattered and windows in the church, cloisters and Sunday schools were destroyed’ (Carlisle Memorial Church, P. 41). In the aftermath of the Second World War the complex was included in the second general revaluation and by the end of the survey in 1972 the joint value of the buildings stood at £1280.

Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church was erected in 1874-75 as a memorial to the son of Alderman James Carlisle (who had died at the age of 18); Carlisle provided for the church at his sole expense. Carlisle died on 25 November 1882 less than a decade after the completion of the church; in his will Carlisle provided £7,630 to the Trustees of Carlisle Memorial Methodist for the construction of a building to provide Sunday schools, a lecture hall, church parlour etc. For the congregation. The church hall and connecting cloisters were completed in 1889; the opening of the buildings was carried out on 23rd November of that year by the widowed Mrs. Carlisle.

The church history of Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church states that the church hall and cloisters consisted ‘of an Assembly Hall, 60 feet by 40 feet, with gallery at sides and end. Off the ground floor and galleries the 23 class rooms open, as well as a Minor Hall and a special room for young children. There are also the usual cloakrooms, Secretary’s room and library.’ The church hall originally possessed two transepts; however in 1945 one of these was converted into a Lounge room and was installed with a separate entrance that led from the cloisters. The author described the church cloisters in the following manner: ‘[the church and church hall] are connected by the cloisters, over which is one of the most homely of rooms, the church parlour. Here the Quarterly Board, the Choir Practise and other important meetings ... Are held. In the alcove behind the platform is a full length portrait of Alderman Carlisle. On the mantelpiece is a bust of John Wesley’ (Carlisle Memorial Church, pp 41-45).

Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church was listed in 1980, however due to the construction of the Westlink and the church’s position at a major community interface, the Methodist congregation of the area dwindled forcing the church to close in the 1982. Prior to its closure the church Trustees were forced to sell the adjoining Church Hall in the 1970s; it is not known with certainty when the cloisters were sold off but it was likely at the same time as the adjoining hall. The former cloisters is currently utilised as office space for the Ulster Provident Housing Association.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1901-02
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1931
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1938
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/12+26 – Annual Revisions 1882-1905 (St. Anne’s Ward)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/G/1 – Annual Revisions 1906-1915 (Court Ward)
6. PRONI VAL/7/B/2/1 – Belfast Revaluation 1900
7. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/7 – First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland 1935
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/7 – Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland 1956-72
9. Irish Builder, Vol. 31. (1 Feb 1889)
10. Belfast Street Directories (1843-1943)
11. First Survey Record – HB26/50/091B (No Date)
12. First Survey Image – HB26/50/091B (1976)
13. Ordnance Survey Map –130-13NE (1959-60)

Secondary Sources

1. ‘Carlisle Memorial Church: 1876-1946’ Belfast: Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church, 1946.
2. ‘Buildings at Risk: Vol. 8’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2008.
3. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of Belfast: 1700-1914’ Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1985.
4. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1987.
5. Walker, S., ‘Historic Ulster Churches’ Belfast: The Institute of Irish Studies, 2000.

Online Resources

1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Attached two-storey gabled stone former cloister building built c.1888 to designs by James John Phillips by Alderman James Carlisle as part of the Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church complex (HB26/50/091A & B). Formerly connecting the church to the Sunday school and set back between both buildings this block reflects the High Victorian style of the church and altogether these structures comprise a significant architectural group, both here and with respect to the City as a whole. Although compromised by extensive remodelling for use as housing association offices that has entailed the loss of the interior (apart from the original roof structure) much historic fabric and detailing survive, of good quality and craftsmanship, and this link forms an intrinsic part of the complex. As a whole, the complex represents the changing history of the Methodist Church in Belfast and the ebb and flow of population in the 20th century. It is one of the principal works of an architect of note.