Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB19/05/001 A

Address :
St. Malachy's Parish Church of Ireland Main Street Hillsborough County Down BT26 6AE

Townland:
Large Park

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Survey 2:
A

Date of Listing:
01/12/1976 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
184-5

IG Ref:
J2450 5870

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Owner Category

Church - C of I

Exterior Description And Setting

Free-standing cruciform plan rubble and sandstone ‘Gothick’ Church of Ireland church, dated 1774, built on the foundations of an earlier church, dating from 1636. Cruciform on plan facing west with entrance steeple to west, chancel and gabled sanctuary to the east, north and south transepts each abutted by a smaller three-stage tower. Set on an elevated site at a considerable distance back from Main Street with parallel driveways and an entrance screen flanked by gabled gate lodges (HB19/05/001B), and enclosed by rubblestone boundary walls. Large cemetery to the north (HB19/05/001D) accessed via Lych gate adjacent to the north tower with a driveway to the south connecting Hillsborough Fort (HB19/05/043). Pitched natural slate roofs with roll-moulded clay ridge tiles pierced by stone pinnacles to all gables. Lead valleys and lead-lined coping to rear sanctuary gable and to gables abutting both transept towers. Deep moulded sandstone eaves cornice with cast-iron guttering supported on shaped iron brackets; cast-iron downpipes. Random rubblestone walling with low rubble plinth course (possibly from the earlier church)and lime pointing. Sandstone ashlar weathered and pinnacled lateral buttress to all gables. Equilateral-headed window openings with sandstone surrounds and sandstone Y-tracery containing leaded glazing. Steeple comprises square-plan three-stage rubblestone tower having sandstone ashlar diagonal buttresses, weathered to each stage with continuous moulding to all sides. The tower is surmounted by a sandstone frieze enriched with shields and rosettes to a continuous cornice and quatrefoil-pierced parapet over. The buttresses rise above the parapet wall as gableted piers and tapered pinnacles. The tower is surmounted by an octagonal-plan sandstone ashlar spire with annular mouldings incorporating a trefoil opening to four sides. The spire has three stages of diminutive lucarnes to four sides with trefoil openings and surmounted by copper ball finial and gilded weather vane. The upper stage to the tower, to all four sides, contains an equilateral-headed opening on continuous sill course with perpendicular stone tracery and timber louvers to the bell-chamber. A further continuous moulding is interrupted to three sides by an ogee-arched moulding, containing a replacement clock-face to the west with elaborate carved sandstone square panel below showing the Hill family crest and stating: ‘1636, Per Deum Et Ferrum Obtinui’. The middle stage of the tower contains a further equilateral-headed window opening to three sides with three cusped lights to each containing leaded glazing and resting on a continuous sill course. Below the front elevation opening is a further carved square panel with the Downshire family crest and stating: ‘1774, Per Deum Et Ferrum Obtinui’. Equilateral-headed compound sandstone door opening to the lower stage with clustered colonettes on octagonal plinth blocks with double-leaf timber doors having iron studs, iron door furniture and bulls-eye glazing to four panels each. Further arched door opening to the south elevation, inserted 1994 with deeply moulded sandstone surround and studded paneled timber door. Tower connected to nave by a lower, narrower linking section (containing the gallery and baptistry), having a single lancet opening to either side and quatrefoil opening above. North nave elevation abutted by gabled north transept, one window deep, with three windows to the right and a further window to the left. Transept further abutted by three-stage square-plan north tower. Rubble tower has a continuous moulding to each stage with quatrefoil panels to the upper stage, equilateral-headed openings to the middle and lower stage having stone Y-tracery, while having lancet openings to both side elevations, all glazed with leaded lights. Below the lower stage is a four-centred arched opening with plain stone surround and steel paneled door to a crypt. To the east elevation of the transept is a further slender door opening with flight of stone steps. Gabled east chancel elevation abutted by shallow gabled sanctuary having diagonal pinnacled buttresses, pinnacle to apex and a tall equilateral-headed east window containing stone perpendicular tracery and leaded lights. Blind quatrefoil panel to the gable. The sanctuary has a blind lancet to either side elevation. South nave elevation abutted by gabled south transept and south tower, as per north nave elevation. Setting Set on an elevated landscaped site, positioned behind the line of houses on Main Street with a long parallel bitmac tree-lined avenue enclosed by gate screen to the road (HB19/05/001?). Rubble boundary walls enclose the drive and church grounds, with the church encircled by bitmac area. Lych gate to the north gives access to a large square-plan cemetery (HB19/05/001?). The drive continues to the south giving access to Hillsborough Fort (HB19/05/43). Roof Natural slate RWG Cast-iron Walling Rubblestone / sandstone ashlar Windows Stone tracery / leaded lights

Architects

McBlain, James McBlain, David

Historical Information

The church has two date stones detailing the main dates of construction: 1636 and 1774. An 1803 map of Hillsborough shows an illustrated image of St. Malachi’s, here named ‘church’ and showing no discernable alteration to the church as it stands today. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs (1834-37) describe St. Malachi’s as a “handsome, Gothic Building. The form and dimensions are best shown by the following figure: ground plan, 111 x 99 feet, cruciform shape with projections. The church is built of whinstone corniced and buttressed with freestone. The spire, which is lofty, is also freestone. The inside of the church is handsomely fitted with pews and there is a small gallery for the organ and choir. The windows are of stained glass. The accommodation is for 600 persons and the average attendance is 500.” The Ordnance Survey maps from 1834-1920 show no discernable alteration to the Church apart from minor variations to the name of the adjoining graveyard. In the first Townland Valuation in 1834, the church building was valued at £46, one third of its value being deducted. Griffith valued the church at £75 and the Annual Revisions show no change in this value through to 1930. Despite no change in value, in 1898 Sir Thomas Drew had completed an extensive renovation of the church which included the installation of a new chancel floor of Irish Marble. The current Parish Church of St. Malachi is the third church to be built on the present site. The first Church was built in 1636 by Peter Hill, Sheriff of Co. Down, but was burnt down during the 1641 rebellion. The second church was established in 1662 by Colonel Arthur Hill, who also built the nearby Hillsborough Fort. This church stood for a century before being extensively reconstructed and enlarged at great expense by Wills Hill, the first Marquis of Downshire. The new church was built upon the Cruciform outline of the former and Barry suggests that remnants of the original church walls can still be seen where they were incorporated into construction of the new design (Barry, p. 46). Brett suggests that the Church was completed in 15 years (1760-1775), however St. Malachi’s was actually completed in 1772 after a probable construction period of 12 years (Brett, p.39). The opening service took place on 22nd August 1773. Work on the church did continue after this date as the 210ft spire was added in 1773, designed and built by James and David McBlain (Rankin, p. 10; Clergy of Down and Dromore, p. 121). The famous Snetzler organ, used by Hamilton Harty and his father, also dates from 1773. Although we know who built the spire and may know what the building cost, as tradition states that Wills Hill expended £20,000 on the construction of St. Malachi’s, what we do not know is the name of the architect who designed and built the Church building as it stands. It was almost certainly an English architect as original plans and a model for the building were sent from London for Wills Hill’s inspection (Barry, p. 47). Brett puts forward many possible candidates, however he admits that ‘until some lucky researcher turns up conclusive evidence, we can only guess at the architect of Hillsborough parish church’ (Brett, p. 41). In its recent history much improvement work has been carried out on St. Malachi’s. In 1923 the G. P. England chamber organ situated in the choir was added, it had previously been in Hillsborough castle since 1795 (Clergy of Down and Dromore, p. 121). Between 1951-56 the church was restored at the cost of £14,000, Sir Albert Richardson of the Royal Academy was noted as an honorary architect during this work. The north transept tower was made into a Vestry Room whilst the old Vestry Room at the west entrance was removed to allow an unobstructed view into the church from the entrance door (Barry, pp 50 - 51). In 1956 a gift of new bronze light pendants was installed by Sir Albert Richardson to mark the completion of the restoration work (Barry, p. 51; Clergy of Down and Dromore, p. 122). In 1972, in recognition of Canon John Barry’s service to the Church, two extra bells were added to the original eight that had existed since 1772 (Clergy of Down and Dromore, p. 122). Today the Church maintains its central role in the heart of the community at Hillsborough. References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI VAL/1/B/344 A-B – Townland Valuations 1834 2. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/14 – Field Map 1834 3. PRONI D671/M/8/25 – Hillsborough Map c.1800 4. PRONI D671/M/8/57/1 – Hillsborough Illustrated Map 1803 5. PRONI OS/6/3/14/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834 6. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858 7. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1902-1903 8. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-1920 9. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/45A-C – Griffith’s Valuation 1856-64 10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14A – Annual Revisions 1864-1879 11. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14B – Annual Revisions 1880-1889 12. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14C – Annual Revisions 1890-1908 13. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14D – Annual Revisions 1909-1928 14. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14E – Annual Revisions 1928-1930 Secondary Sources 1. Barry, J., ‘Hillsborough: A parish in the Ulster plantation’ (3rd ed.), Belfast, Universities Press., 1982. 2. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the towns and villages of Mid Down: Hillsborough, Dromore, Dromara, Ballynahinch, the Spa, Drumaness and Saintfield’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1974. 3. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of North County Down’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002. 4. ‘Clergy of Down and Dromore’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1996. 5. ‘Gravestone Inscriptions: Vol. 18 Co. Down’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1979. 6. Hobart, B. R., ‘The village of Hillsborough Co. Down: A short architectural and historical description’ (Unpublished illustrated book c. 1950s). 7. Kelly, D., ‘Lisburn’s rich church heritage: Churches and places of worship in the Lisburn city area’ Lisburn: Impression Print and Design, 2009.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

Gothic revival Church of Ireland church, dated 1774, cruciform on plan, facing west, located on an elevated site on the east side of Main Street, Hillsborough. Occupying a site of religious worship dating back to the early seventeenth-century, St. Malachy’s Parish Church is a remarkable example of eighteenth-century Gothic church architecture and may represent the arrival of the ‘Georgian Gothick’ period in Ireland. The fine proportions and impressive west tower on its commanding elevated site are complemented by its impeccably intact interior. Patronised by The First Marquis of Downshire, the building has not had a definite architect attributed to its design, however the style has much in common with churches in Britain of the time, and marks a distinct break with the tradition of the ‘hall and tower’ format. Built with aspirations to Cathedral status, this church dominates the small town of Hillsborough and represents one of the architectural highlights of Ulster.

General Comments

Please note this record has been renumbered, previously HB19/05/001

Date of Survey

06 July 2010