Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB09/08/014

Address :
St Patrick's Church of Ireland 125 Coagh Road Stewartstown Dungannon BT71 5LL

Townland:
Glebe (Ballyclog)

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
26/01/1976 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
Yes

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
125/14

IG Ref:
H8670 7372

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Owner Category

Church - C of I

Exterior Description And Setting

A 19th century church of polychrome stonework in High Victorian Gothic Revival style, consisting of a three-bay gabled nave with a rounded apse, an attached circular western tower, and a vestry at the east end which also terminates in a curved wall. It stands on an elevated open site in a very rural area, set back from the main road within its own grounds. The main entrance faces west, located within a lean-to narthex porch built across the front of the main west gable. Walls are of snecked rock-raced standstone rubble with red standstone impost courses and stringcourses and some blue and yellow brickwork incorporated in the coloured stone bands. Roofs are of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with no break between main roofs and apsidal ends. Rainwater goods are of cast iron and are modern replacements for the originals. The lean-to porch across the west elevation contains two moulded and shouldered entrance openings with original gates of ornamented ironwork. It is flanked to the north by a buttress rising to a gabled pinnacle and flying buttress, and to the south by a circular belfry tower. The tower is steeply battered at the base round which two bands of red sandstone spiral, the upper one bumping up over the lancets that light the stair inside. At the top the cap is drawn out to a long thin conical spire which contains small circular openings as well as lancet openings. The porch doorways lead into two open porches which are floored with original black and red tiles, and have walls and vaulted ceilings of yellow brick. The side walls of the open porches contain pairs of rectangular timber panelled doors with ornamented arched tympani panels over, leading into two inner porches, located in the centre and to the south, and to a former porch now a toilet to the north. In each of the two open porches there is an iron grille set in the floor. In the gable above the west porch is a large circular rose window of clear glass with five multi-foil and five quatrefoil lights in plate tracery, embellished with trefoil stone motifs, all set in a poychromatic Gothic arch rising from a stringcourse. Above this is a small two-centre arched unglazed lancet also set in a polychromatic arch. At the apex of the gable appears to be a pair of coupled short chimneys, originally serving the original heating apparatus. The north elevation comprises the nave which has three windows, with the side of the porch set back slightly at the west end of it, and the wall of the apse curving back form it to the east of a two stage buttress which has a small gablet at the top, decorated with a red sandstone roundel. A similar buttress separates the easternmost nave window from the other two. Nave windows are three-light with a central multi-foil in plate tracery above the lower middle light, set in a polychromatic Gothic arch. The lower windows have lozenge pattern metal frames. The apse windows are single lights, Gothic arched lancets of metal lozenge framing surmounted by plate traceried quatrefoil and small circular piercings, set in polychromatic arches which spring off a higher impost course than for the nave. The side elevation of the porch contains one window, a small shouldered rectangular lancet of lozenge pattern metal frames recessed in a segmental headed surround. On the east or rear elevation a tall square chimney of regular coursed sandstone rises from the angle between the front and rear roofs of the vestry which projects from the south side of the church at the east end in an L-shape, its apsidal eastern end echoing the form of the main church apse. The vestry roof is of hipped form except for the conical form over the curved wall, all slated similarly to the main block. The vestry contains three single-light lancets around its sides and rear, similar to those of the main apse but without the plate-tracery. In the south side there is also a doorway, containing a segmental headed ledged timber door set in a moulded segmental headed stone surround which is surmounted by a Gothic arched stone fanlight which contains pierced circular tracery of geometrical design. The south wall of the nave contains three windows similar to the north. SETTING: The ground in front of the church and along each side is gravelled, with a sloping grassed verge to the north and south. Further to the south an extension to the churchyard beyond a low rubble stone wall is laid out as a grassed burial ground with paths at intervals. The boundary in front of the church itself is formed by a rubble stone wall with rough stone copings. It contains a vehicular gateway near the north end which contains a pair of iron gates comprised of the original High Victorian Gothic gates, now widened by having the original pedestrian gate added on, set in cut stone dressings to the rubble wall. To the south in the front boundary wall is a pedestrian gateway containing a modern (2007) replica of the original High Victorian Gothic gate, set in similar cut stone blocks. It opens into a small cement screeded area from which short steps lead up to the gravelled parking area in front of the church. Formerly it led onto a path up a grassy incline.

Architects

Welland & Gillespie

Historical Information

Built in 1865 to the designs of Welland and Gillespie of Dublin, architects to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners; site conveyed on 14 June 1865, and completed church consecrated, by the Lord Primate, on 2 September 1868. Contractor was James McClean. The church was built to replace an earlier church, now in ruins, and known as Ballyclog Old Church, on the opposite side of the road. References - Primary Sources 1. RCB Library. Signed Drawing, dated 26th December 1865. Portifolio 2A 2. Irish Church Directory (1869) 3. OS Map of 1909. 4. Irish Architectural Archive, PKS L1 (p816) Secondary Sources 1. J.B. Leslie, Armagh Clergy and Parishes (Dundalk, 1911), p 128. 2. J.B. Leslie, Supplement to Armagh Clergy and Parishes (Dundalk, 1948), p 48, 3. A.J. Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North-West Ulster (Harmondsworth, 1979), pp 118-119.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest V. Authorship Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

This is a very fine example of a 19th century church in High Victorian Gothic Revival style of characteristic proportions and plan, and with an appropriate degree of architectural ornamentation both inside and outside. This ornamentation takes the form of polychromatic masonry outside, embellished in some places by carved details, as well as the stylised leafage and other motifs on the porch gates. Inside it also takes the form of polychromatic brickwork, as well as the characteristic foiled motifs on the font and other furnishngs. This interior, which remains intact, is enhanced by a roof structure of unusual design. Despite a few minor alterations and additons to one of the porches which detracts from the original spatial quality and experience of the church overall as well as a few alterations to the grounds which detract from the original character and appearance of the setting, the church stands as an exceptionally good and interesting example of the creativity of its architects, Welland and Gillespie of Dublin, one of the leading firms of ecclesiastical specialists in Ireland of the period; such elements as the single flying buttress and the unusual treatment of the Irish Round tower belfry theme are particularly notable examples of their inventiveness in design. At a more local level the church also forms part of an interesting group with its now ruinous 17th century predessor across the road, each one visible from the other.

General Comments

Date of Survey

19 December 2007