Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB24/02/066

Address :
Old Presbyterian Church 1A Main Road Cloughey BT22 1GB

Townland:
CLOGHY

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
31/01/2022 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
188/10SW

IG Ref:
J6356 5627

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

NOTE: Since date of survey, the right side lancet window on S elevation has had a stained glass pane become loose, which has dropped down and is contained between the window and the wire mesh on the exterior. The full description below refers to the building at the date of the full survey. Stone church building, single storey, double height with first floor balcony, sited at roadside, eastern side of main road, 70m to north of Cloughey village square with beach immediately to east. Cloughey is located on the Ards Peninsula, 7km NE of Portaferry, 22.5km SE of Newtownards. Church is orientated approximately W-E with entrance porch to W and vestry return to N. A small lean-to store is located on the E gable. Walls of rubble stone throughout with dry pebble dash on sand cement base with sand cement banding at corners, plinth, doors, windows, parapets to gables and chimneys. All roofs are natural slate, possibly green westmoreland. Brick eaves evident below sand cement render. Chimney stack and pots are extant on the three main gables, only one fireplace evident in N return. N gable pot is octagonal in cream terracotta, chimney pots to SE and NE (vestry return) gables are tall dark brown glazed round base bishop terracotta with multiple downdraft venturi tubes to shaft. Ridge tiles are slate black clay angle ridge throughout. All external doors have 1 1/2 set steel butt hinges and rim lock. All windows have galvanised steel mesh. Front elevation (South - facing south side of graveyard) On main elevation 3 tall lancet windows light the nave, W01 to W03. Entrance porch return to left, with external door of entrance porch framed/ledged/braced/sheeted timber in three panels (braces). Main elevation 2No downpipes are grey painted cast iron, with single cast iron downpipe to entrance porch return. All downpipes have matching brackets and shoes, all guttering is grey upvc. Side elevation (West, to main road) Gable of entrance porch return, facing main road, with smaller matching lancet window W07 which has external plywood board protection. Entrance porch gable has ball top finial in slate black clay which sits proud of, and does not match, ridge tiles. Rear elevation (North - facing north side of graveyard) On main elevation 2 tall lancet windows light the nave, W04 & W06. Window W06 has external plywood board protection. Rear of entrance porch return to right, with External door of entrance porch framed/ledged/braced/sheeted timber in three panels (braces). Main elevation 2No downpipes are grey painted cast iron with single cast iron downpipe to rear of entrance porch return. Downpipes to rear elevations, entrance porch and vestry return, terminate approx 600mm above ground level, with no shoes. All guttering is grey upvc. Side elevation (East, to beach) Gable of nave, facing beach. Blank with low lean-to shed/store off centre on gable (to north). Shed has single ledged/braced/sheeted timber door to south and single unglazed window opening to north elevations. Shed in matching materials to main building with no rain water goods. Setting. Church is surrounded by graveyard. Boundary wall is random rubble, rendered in places facing main road to match church. Original double entrance gates and pedestrian gates extant, in wrought iron, painted black. Materials: Walls - rubble stone, dry dash render, brick eaves. Roof - natural slate, clay ridge, terracotta chimney pots and finials. Windows - leaded coloured glass lights generally mounted direct to masonry opening. W01,02 and 04 have timber frame to top (arch) section, W02 has stained glass details. All windows have steel framed hopper opening section (missing W07). Rain water goods - all downpipes in painted cast iron with matching fittings, gutters in grey upvc.

Architects

Historical Information

The Cloughey Presbyterian congregation was formed in January 1841 and a plot for new church was donated by John Echlin of Echlinville House. For a short time prior to the building of the church, the congregation are said to have held their services in variety of buildings including Kirkistown Castle, a local schoolhouse (the 'Sand School'), a barn at Drumarden, a store at Ballyspurge, as well as the local Coastguard station. The congregation’s first minister, Rev. James Gamble, was installed (‘in the midst of very unsettled weather’) in September 1841, and ‘a very handsome and neatly executed’ communion service was donated by Mr. Gelston of Tullyhammon the following December. The same Mr. Gelston also contributed towards the construction of the church itself, with contributions also made by, amongst others, ‘Mrs Thomas Shaw…Mr Samuel McWhirk of Kircubbin…Mr Cathcart…Mr Ervin of Banbridge… Mr William Skelton of Ballygunningham…[and] Mr William Scott, Kilsorrell’. The church itself was opened for public worship on 17 May 1843 by the Rev. Josias Wilson of Townsend Street, Belfast. The identity of the architect / builder is not known. The building underwent extensive alterations in the latter half of 1902. Carried out by contractor William Mahood of Portavogie, these involved: the moving of the pulpit from the long wall (evidence suggests it was originally along that to the north) to present eastern end, and the blocking up of the original main entrance (which appears to have been to the south); the building of the porch to the west end; the reduction of the gallery from ‘all around the house’ to its present western extent; the introduction of new windows ‘of the long and pointed pattern, with coloured glass to the top’; the replastering of the internal walls in cement and application of 5ft high pine wainscotting; the fitting of a new heating system, and the application of a ‘stone finish’ (this seems to have been a smooth – possibly lined – render and quoins) to the exterior walls. On the completion of this work in December 1902 the ‘Northern Whig’ reporter remarked that, ‘so complete and successful has been the renovation that anyone looking at the church would now take it both inside and outside for a new building.’ Later changes have included the installation of five new windows in 1931, the gift of Dr. David Finnegan who had spent his childhood in Cloughey, ‘to perpetuate the memory of his parents and three brothers’, the replacement of the ‘stone finish’ with the present dry dash at some point in the mid-20th century, and the removal of shallow parapets to the main gables. The church appears to have been vacated in the 1980s when new church was built at 69b Main Road. References – Primary sources 1 ‘Londonderry Sentinel’ - 11 September 1841, p.4 2 ‘Northern Whig’ – 4 December 1841, p.2 3 ‘Belfast News-Letter’ - 4 March 1842, p.3; 27 January 1843, p.3; 30 May 1843, p.3; 1 September 1931, p.5 4 NMNI HOYFM.WAG.2729 Photograph of Cloughey – c.1920s 5 Lyttle, E.J.C., 'Cloughey History', (private publication, August 1988)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form E. Spatial Organisation H-. Alterations detracting from building H+. Alterations enhancing the building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance X. Local Interest

Evaluation

The Old Presbyterian church in Cloughey is sited on the edge of Cloughey village square. Cloughey is a small village located on the Ards Peninsula, 7km NE of Portaferry, 22.5km SE of Newtownards. It opened for public worship on 17 May 1843 but was vacated in 1980 when the congregation moved to a new building. The church retains its original setting with a graveyard to three sides and the beach to the E. While the exterior pebble-dashed finish detracts from the original historic character, the building retains its historic authenticity with its original proportions. Internally it retains the original layout and much historic detailing, with particular note to stained glass windows by Clokey, which were added in 1931. The church is of local interest and is socially important as a church in small community.

General Comments

Date of Survey

16 September 2021