Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB11/03/001 C

Address :
Belltower at St Dympna's RC Church St Dympna's Road, Dromore, Co Tyrone BT78 3JG

Townland:
Aghadarragh

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Tower

Former Use
Tower

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
155-12

IG Ref:
H3442 6274

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Owner Category

Church - RC

Exterior Description And Setting

Free-standing square-plan three-stage belfry, built c.1915, located to the south side of St Dympna’s Road, Dromore. Walls are roughcast rendered with stepped quoins and projecting string course dividing each stage. First stage north elevation contains single square-headed replacement door within ruled-and-lined-rendered square-headed recess with smooth rendered banding; east, west and south elevations are blank. Second stage south elevation contains square-headed narrow window opening at centre (no window remaining); east, north and west elevations are blank. Third belfry stage is supported on square corner pillars each divided by diminished pillar at centre. Suspended cast metal bell and wheel remains intact below timber sheeted soffit. Third stage is terminated by octagonal natural slate cupola and cast-metal cross finial. Corner of belfry stage are surmounted by masonry pediments. The belfry is set on an elevated site to the south of St Dympna’s RC church. The building is enclosed to south and east by mature hedging; accessed at north by tarmac path through adjacent graveyard. Roof Natural slate Walling Roughcast render with stepped quoins Windows Square-headed openings (no windows remaining). RWG None

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The bell tower first appears on the fourth edition OS map of 1938 in the grounds of St Dympna’s RC Church (HB11/03/001A) captioned ‘Bell-tower’. In 1912 the value of land associated with the church rises from 5s to £1 and the following edition of the OS map (1938) shows that the bell-tower is built within this increased curtilage. It can therefore be dated to the same period as the porch and sacristy (the porch is dated 1917). References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/6/50/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1938 2. PRONI VAL/12/B/41/16A – Annual Revision Records (1860-1929)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Free-standing square-plan three-stage belfry, built c.1915, located to the south side of St Dympna’s Road, Dromore. Largely intact in terms of massing and proportion this building is part of a group, though not contemporary, with the adjacent St. Dympna’s RC church (HB11/03/001A) and former primary school (HB11/03/001B). However, it is of a late date and not one of the best examples of the type.

General Comments

Date of Survey

03 June 2009