Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/26/003

Address :
Riverside Reformed Presbyterian Church Basin Walk Newry Co Down BT35 6HU

Townland:
Carneyhough

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
15/12/1981 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:
266/7 NW

IG Ref:
J0870 2685

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Owner Category

Church - Other

Exterior Description And Setting

Brick single-volume Italianate church with distinctive tower and lower hall to rear, set on the banks of the Newry River. Façade of church faces east. Pitched artificial slate roof with modern vents. Coped gable to façade, bargeboards to rear gable. Metal rainwater goods. Walls are red brick with sandstone dressings and platbands, with courses of brick specials and blue engineering brick. Façade has two-stage raised brick base course. At centre is a pair of semicircular sandstone arches on foliated capitals and central sandstone pier. Each opening contains a stained herringbone sheeted timber door. Sandstone hood mould over each opening (with foliated stops), above which is a recessed brick roundel. A sandstone platband runs across the façade at arch capital level, and second one three courses below. These two platbands continue around tower and road (south) elevation. Two further sandstone platbands, set three courses apart, run into brick roundel above door. Above is central rose window set in a splayed and stepped recessed brick roundel with sandstone free flowing tracery. A further sandstone platband at mid point of rose window with blue engineering brick string courses above and below. Stone hood mould with foliated bosses over. The gable has a decorative cornice of projecting brick specials (mostly single cants placed alternately), and is coped in sandstone. Small central roundel just below apex. Tower is on south east corner, abutting façade to its right. Steeply pitched helm roof of diagonal slating set at 45 degrees to four small gables rising off walls. Roof is crowned with metal finial and lightning conductor. Base of tower has double stepped brick plinth in line with front façade. Above lowest pair of platbands, the walls are battered in to line of next sandstone platband above. In lower walls of tower are three small round-headed blind lancets to south and east sides. Elegant slender tower rises high above church, with two pairs of long narrow lancets at upper platband level, with offset single lancets above. Below belfry level are small round-headed windows (one each to south and east walls), joined by further sandstone platband. Belfry has three openings to each façade – gothic headed, centre ones taller, all dressed in sandstone with timber louvre panels. Above are steeply pitched gables, formed in brick specials with sandstone copings, similar to front façade. Left elevation faces south to road. Two pairs of sandstone platbands continue from façade and tower. Comprises four bays with broad flat piers with chamfered edges forming shallow segmental three-order brick arches (with sandstone dressing to keystone and ends). The recessed panels thus formed have a battered apron running down to projecting base course across elevation. Each bay contains two semicircular-headed openings with sandstone dressings and central brick mullion with chamfered edges. They are generally fixed pane but two have small opening casements. All glass is modern patterned. Below each one is a recessed ventilator. At wall head is a three-course projecting brick cornice (single canted bricks placed alternately) with sandstone eaves course above. Above piers are metal tie plates and there is considerable evidence of settlement. The right elevation, to river, is similar but without stone dressings. First bay on left (corresponding with tower on south side) is recessed back to line of façade. A short brick wall runs from façade to river retaining wall. Rear gable is abutted by church hall. Exposed section of wall is of plain red brick with rose window as façade (but smaller). Hall Set at right angles to church and projecting forward from line of church. A high two-storey façade bay to south is backed by lower block containing hall proper. Artificial slate roof with coped gable to front and overhanging verge to rear. Road (south) frontage has central round headed doorway in brick arch with rendered platbands (in line with rest of elevation) and keystone. Moulded brick surround to arch. Doors are round headed framed and sheeted timber with decorative strap hinges. Brick plinth continues on front elevation from church. Flanked on each side by a round headed window opening, also with brick arch and rendered keystone, and artificial stone cills. Windows have a radial paned top light and central thin mullion below. Above, directly above lower of two string courses (upper one does not continue around this building) are three window openings – all semicircular headed with central one wider and taller than side ones. Brick arched head with connecting rendered platband at eaves level and rendered keystone. Windows have radial paned top light (as those) below and vertical mullions (one mullion to side lights, two mullions to central window). Above is brick roundel with recessed granite plaque with incised letters “Lyons Memorial Hall 1915”. Gable coped with concrete, now with metal flashing over. Lower section of hall has plain cement rendered walls. Side wall to west has one semicircular headed opening (as front wall) on two-storey right section, and three pairs of semicircular headed openings to main section of hall. Exposed section of gable of front block is cement rendered. Rear wall of lower section has raised base course but is otherwise blank. Small boiler house annex at rear corner of church and hall with plain brick chimney. This has a steep pitched roof with large natural slates and stone copings. Later lean to extensions to rear and side of this building. Setting To front of façade is tarmac forecourt with brick paviors. Enclosed by modern red brick wall (with cast stone coping) and decorative metal railings with a pair of matching architectural double gates on metal posts. Granite rubble low wall to river frontage. To left of hall, a modern high brick wall encloses a side yard running across to the river. Modern double metal gates immediately to left of wall.

Architects

Barre, William J Reside, S Wilson

Historical Information

Built for Third Newry Presbyterian Church (an offshoot of Sandys Street First Presbyterian). Designed in ‘Lombardo-Venetian’ style by William J. Barre and built by McLaughlin and Harvey, Belfast. Foundation stone laid 1 September 1865 and opened 31 August 1866. Declining numbers forced sale of premises to Reformed Presbyterian congregation in 1883. Until then this congregation had met in the old Meeting House, Church Street (demolished 1983; only the graveyard now survives). Riverside church reopened for worship on 6 January 1884. Hall, to design of Newry architect S. Wilson Reside, was added in 1915 at a cost of £600. Named after Rev. A.S. Lyons, minister from 1872 to c.1908, and who was instrumental in the move from Church St to Riverside. Church extensively renovated in 1945. New windows installed 1958. Boiler house erected 1966. Church re-roofed 1981. Extensive repairs after bomb damage 1993. Secondary Sources: 1. Irish Builder, 15 Sept 1866, p.230. 2. Riverside Centenary Committee, 1984, The Reformed Presbyterian Covenanter Congregation of Newry.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H+. Alterations enhancing the building

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Brick single-volume Italianate church with distinctive tower and lower hall to rear. A competent exercise by famous local architect in polychromatic brickwork and stone detailing with distinctive tower and rose windows to each gable.

General Comments

Date of Survey

16 March 1998