Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB01/22/010

Address :
Claremont Presbyterian Church Northland Road Londonderry BT48 7JL

Townland:
Edenballymore

---

Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
26/02/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Office

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
36/4NW

IG Ref:
C4326 1796

---

Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Detached symmetrical gabled-fronted single-bay double-height red brick and rendered Gothic Revival former church, built c.1904, to the designs of M.A. Robinson. Rectangular on plan facing east with a lean-to rear extension and front railed area. Set on a slightly elevated site to the west of Northland Road at the junction of Rock Road. Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridgecombe tiles set behind raised front gable with moulded concrete coping. Valley gutter hidden behind parapet walls and discharging to plastic downpipes via cast-iron hoppers. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond and ruled-and-lined smooth rendered walling. Symmetrical gabled east front elevation is smooth rendered and framed by a pair of tall red brick crenellated clasping piers rising above eaves level. This elevation is abutted by a richly decorated shallow full-span entrance breakfront. The gable is filled with a large pointed-arched east window with compound moulded surround rising from splayed brick jambs. The window has two red brick mullions with cusped red sandstone tracery windows glazed with stained leaded glazing and storm glazing; it is flanked by large red brick octagonal piers surmounted by panelled and pinnacled capstones and tapered masonry spires with poppy-head finials rising above the apex of the gable. Central gabled entrance with moulded coping and terracotta floral panels to spandrel. The gable has a large pointed-arched opening with an exaggerated series of compound arches rising from splayed red brick walls and polished granite colonettes. Trefoil-headed door opening with replacement double-leaf glazed door and overlight. The entrance gable is flanked by gableted angle buttresses with trefoil-headed coping supporting square-plan crenellated block in turn supporting flying buttresses. Flanking the entrance is a pair of slightly advanced red brick walls with diminutive square-headed window openings having hood mouldings with foliate detail to label stops, continuous nail-head sill mouldings and red sandstone tracery windows with stained leaded glazing and storm glazing. These sections are surmounted by rosette panels and diminutive crenellations, framed to either end by trefoil-headed buttresses. Door opens onto replacement granite paved platform. Below the north window to the front elevation is a red sandstone date stone inscribed; ‘THIS STONE WAS LAID BY / JOHN COOKE ESQ. D.L. / OF [THIS] CITY / ON 24TH JUNE 1904 / A.D./ JOHN COLHOUN / BUILDER. / M.A. ROBINSON, M.R.I.A.I. / ARCHITECTS’. South nave elevation is four bays wide and fronts onto Claremont Street. Double-height Tudor-arched window openings arranged in pairs (except for the single vestibule window), set within Tudor-arched red brick recesses having hood mouldings with foliate detail to label stops and red brick toothed quoins between continuous nail-head and rosette terracotta string courses at sill and impost levels. Beyond clasping pilaster to the right (E) side, the walling is smooth render, unpainted. Gabled west rear elevation is abutted by a full-height lean-to extension with a small area to the south enclosed by decorative iron railings and matching pedestrian gate. Smooth render (unpainted) to main building, with moulded concrete coping to raised gable, as per front elevation. Wall extends beyond coping at apex, with rendered top. Lean-to extension has ruled and lined cement rendered walling. Rectangular extract vent grille off-centred within gable above lean-to abutment. Impost string course from south elevation returned to west and stopped short of uPVC hopper and downpipe to right side. North nave elevation as per south elevation enclosed by timber fence. Materials: Roof Natural slate RWG uPVC Walling Red brick / terracotta dressings / ruled-and-lined smooth render, unpainted Windows Replacement fixed-pane timber (N&S) / Stained leaded glass & storm glazing, fixed tight to reveals (E) Setting: Located on a small elevated site on the west side of Northland Road at the junction of Rock Road, opposite the NW entrance to the university within the Magee Conservation Area. Entrance bound by decorative iron railings on low brick plinth wall and matching iron gates supported on decorative red brick pillars with moulded gableted concrete capstones. Similar pedestrian gate and railings towards rear of Claremont Road elevation, on cement rendered wall with concrete cap. Recent granite paved platform and steps with universal access ramp and stainless steel handrail inside site boundary at front entrance.

Architects

Robinson, Matthew Alexander

Historical Information

Claremont Presbyterian Church, a red brick Gothic Revival church located on the Northland Road at the top of Rock Road, was constructed in 1904-05. Claremont Presbyterian Church replaced Park Avenue Presbyterian Mission Hall and was designed by Matthew Alexander Robinson (1872-1929), a local architect and engineer who established an independent practice in the city in 1898 and was elected City Surveyor in 1909. Robinson was responsible for the remodelling and extension of a number of Presbyterian churches in Ulster’s western countries but the Dictionary of Irish Architects notes that Claremont was one of only two complete churches that Robinson designed (the other was Donagheady Presbyterian Church). The builder contracted to carry out the construction of the church was John Colhoun who held business premises on the Strand Road. The foundation stone of the building was laid on 24th June 1904 by John Cooke (Chairman of the Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners). Claremont was designed in the gothic style, could accommodate a congregation of 500 and was completed on 3rd May 1905 (DIA; PHS). The completed church was valued at £114 by the Annual Revisions which recorded that the building had been constructed on land owned by Ellen Graham of the adjoining Claremont House (now demolished). The contemporary Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910) depicted the building along its current layout suggesting that no major structural changes were made to the building since the early-20th century. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the church was increased to £230 and by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) this was further raised to £280. The Magee Conservation Area guide states that the ‘church would have been built to allow Scottish shipyard workers to attend a local church as they were living in the rows of terrace houses behind Northland Road’ (Magee Conservation Area Guide). In 1970 the UAHS guide for Derry described Claremont Presbyterian Church as a church with ‘Gothic and Tudor overtones. The entrance façade is executed in heavily modelled brickwork, giving an almost cavernous effect to the doorway; sloping barges terminating against pinnacles crowning brick turrets’ (UAHS guide, p. 30). Claremont Presbyterian Church was listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the frontage of the church was restored in 1989-90 but, due to declining membership, the church lay vacant by 1998. The former church was converted into office premises in c. 1998 when the modern extension was added to the rear of the building to provide additional accommodation. As part of the conversion the original stained glass windows were removed and the current double-glazed windows installed (NIEA HB Records). References Primary Sources 1. Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland: Claremont Presbyterian Church File 2. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910) 3. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2A-2F – Annual Revisions (1898-1931) 4. PRONI VAL/3/B/6/4 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935) 5. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72) 6. Ulster Town Directories (1880-1918) 7. First Survey Record – HB01/22/010 (1970) 8. NIEA HB Records – HB01/22/010 Secondary Sources 1. Baillie, W. D., ‘A history of congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland: 1610-1982’ Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society, 1982. 2. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013. 3. Ferguson, W. S; Rowan, A. J; Tracey, J. J., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the city of Derry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970. 4. Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003. 5. ‘A design guide for the Magee Conservation Area’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 2010. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Detached symmetrical gabled single-bay red brick and rendered Gothic Revival former church, built c.1904, to the designs by M.A. Robinson, situated near the university at the junction of Northland Road and Rock Road. A richly decorated yet modestly sized church displaying a wealth of High Victorian devices and embellishments in a mix of Tudor, Gothic and Arts & Crafts styles. The building has since been subdivided for commercial use with the loss of some external fabric, such as the nave windows, but nonetheless retains its overall composition and much of its character. Occupying a prominent elevated site within the Magee Conservation Area, despite the institutional ramp and rear extension, its elaborate breakfront sets Claremont Presbyterian Church amongst the most distinctive buildings of the vicinity and this quality is further augmented by the boundary walls, gates and railings. Built to serve the Scottish shipyard workers who resided within terraced houses behind Northland Road, it is also of historic social importance.

General Comments

Date of Survey

27 May 2014