Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB06/08/003

Address :
Methodist Church Curran Road Larne Co Antrim

Townland:
None

---

Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
25/06/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
70/8SE

IG Ref:
D4053 0266

---

Owner Category

Church - Methodist

Exterior Description And Setting

A late Victorian Gothic Revival gabled church in Early English style consisting of a nave and chancel with short transepts, built of yellow sandstone, rock-faced, in regular courses, with red sandstone dressings and roofs of green Westmoreland slates, in regular courses for the most part, but diminishing slightly toward ridges of red terracotta. Main entrance in porch at ecclesiastical west end, actually faces south. Ecclesiastical west end comprises main gable flanked by lower porch to each side of gable. Main gable six windows wide at ground level with buttress at each extremity projecting above string course over windows; left hand buttress has inscribed foundation stone; windows set in yellow sandstone arches; splayed cills; leaded glazing of geometrical patterning. Large central traceried window to gable above string course: fanlight with cusping and three roundels; red sandstone drip moulding with carved head label stops; storm proofing plate glazing over stained glass; red sandstone copings on red sandstone kneelers to main gable; red sandstone finial to apex of gable. Porch to left hand side of main gable: main entrance of gabled roof running laterally with projecting gablet containing entrance doorway: two-leaf ledged door in varnished oak set in large red sandstone Gothic arch within buff sandstone gablet; carved head label stops in red sandstone to drip moulding around doorway; red sandstone shield panel, blank, in apex of gablet; red sandstone carved ornamental foliated finial to apex; moulded red sandstone eaves course; cast iron gutters, moulded, and cast iron downpipes, square section, one to each side of main entrance, one to left fractured; red sandstone weatherings to buttressed sides of entrance; to right hand side of main entrance, one small lancet window with leaded glazing. Main entrance porch stonework repointed in inappropriate fashion, but rest of entrance front has original pointing, in poor condition. Five concrete steps to front door, contained by low stone walls terminating in low stone piers with chamfered edges; modern tubular steel handrails each side, inappropriate. Porch to right hand side of main gable smaller than main porch: hipped roof, as previous; doorway rectangular with carved top corners, surmounted by traceried three-light fanlight, all in red sandstone, with similar horizontal drip moulding over, terminating in foliated stops; door, two-leaf ledged oak but with new modern brass coloured metal strip to base of each leaf; four concrete steps up to front door, top step flanked by low walls of shaped red sandstone blocks. Ecclesiastical north side (actually faces west): nave of church three windows wide separated by buttresses, with low gabled side of front porch projecting to right; tall gabled transept projecting to left, with side wall of sanctuary stepped well back to the extreme left; entire elevation of church to this side repointed in inappropriate fashion. Nave windows leaded as previous but one to left has stained glass covered with storm glazing; cast iron downpipe to left hand corner with transept. Transept gable has two tall lancets, leaded glazing as previous; red stone shield above; stone finial on apex of gable coping; blank inner side wall to transept. To right hand side of nave windows, rear wall of porch projects forward: two blind lancets, blocked with red sandstone, original work; to left hand corner, cast iron downpipe. To right, gable of porch: two-light traceried window, some decay to stone of cusping at tracery roundel; leaded glazing. To extreme left hand side, side wall of sanctuary has single lancet, leaded glazing; cast iron downpipe (with hole in it); plaque affixed to wall, blue painted metal with white lettering, commemorating Dr James Boyd Brady who donated the chancel window erected in 1885. Ecclesiastical east end (actually faces north): gable of nave surmounted by stone finial, with blank side walls of transepts stepped back slightly and extending to each side; projecting forward, gable of chancel surmounted by stone finial; large three-light traceried window, stained glass with storm glazing. To left hand side, low modern porch of mid-20th century appearance, flat roofed with concrete coping, pebble dash finish with smooth cement rendered strip to corner; varnished hardwood double doors with wire glazed panels below rectangular fanlight, similar glazing, reached down four concrete steps, joins church with modern link block to church hall complex. Ecclesiastical south side (actually faces east): nave wall three windows wide as previous nave elevation, except protective iron grille affixed to easternmost one which contains stained glass; much decay to cill and jambs of this window. To right hand extremity of nave, cast iron downpipe in corner with transept. To left of nave, rear wall of hipped porch projects forward: one lancet, leaded glazing, with cast iron downpipe to right hand extremity. End or side wall of porch, one lancet similar but larger; cast iron gutter continuous around eaves of porch. To right hand side of nave, side wall of transept projects forward, blank. Gable of transept: two tall lancets, leaded glazing; apex of gable surmounted by square stone chimney with offset, and battered stone cap above cornice. Transept gable abutted to left hand side by low retaining wall faced with buff sandstone to one side and snecked basalt rubble to the other side and surmounted by cement coping: retains modern concrete steps to right leading up to part of modern hall complex, a gabled block in concrete brick with concrete tiled roof, with another flight of concrete steps down to left to basement below nave and transept: door to basement of nave flush wooden painted white; narrow white painted wooden casement to basement of transept, not original; parallel low retaining wall of modern concrete block with concrete copings retains grassed area to left in front of nave. Grass lawn surrounds church to ecclesiastical west end and north end but tarmac car parking area against east end, with tarmac extending around the rear of the hall complex. Boundary to entrance front is ornamentally treated iron railings, with stylised leaf finials, mounted on low yellow sandstone walls with red sandstone copings; curved iron brackets to square section rails at intervals. To front of main park, concrete area with gateway comprising pair of square piers with red sandstone gabled capstones; double iron gates similar detailing to railings. In front of smaller porch, concrete pathway, gateway comprising pair of piers as previous, but single iron gate. To right hand extremity of front boundary, a square section pier with pyramidal cap. Boundary to actual eastern side: outer face of basalt rubble with basalt copings extends back to level with transept, then steps down to poor quality wall of brick and concrete blocks linking to hall complex; basalt section has gateway of modern ironwork design set in segmental archway of purple firebrick with similar jambs, later insertion. Inner face of eastern boundary is buff sandstone at front portion, terminating in another square pier with pyramidal top; basalt beyond running back to rear. Rails and walling to the entrance front sweep round to the western boundary to meet octagonal sandstone pier with weathered capstone; two further octagonal piers along western side terminating in a square pier. Beyond, further ornamental iron rails, original, but on low rendered wall each side of entrance to car park which is marked by modern square section posts without gates. Beyond, a run of original railings on rendered wall between rendered square piers with pebble dashed panels. General note on condition of exterior of building: original pointing of buff sandstone walls including that of boundary walling and some piers in poor condition with some joints open, and some sprouting foliage; red sandstone dressings crumbling in places and showing cracks; many roof slates slipped out of position; some fractures and holes visible on cast iron downpipes, with rust staining evidence of cracks elsewhere. The church stands on a corner site at a road junction within the built-up area of the town, with a terrace of houses adjacent to its entrance front and its own church hall complex attached to the rear, the church hall being a gabled and slated building with Tudor arched windows containing modern hardwood replacement frames, and flat roofed extensions, having the appearance of a hall of early 20th century date which has been completely remodelled with the loss of its original fabric to the detriment of the
setting for the church itself.

Architects

Close, Samuel P

Historical Information

Designed by S.P. Close in 1883; built in 1884; foundation stone laid by Mrs Stewart Clark of Kilnside, Paisley, on 14th April 1884; building operations superintended by John A. Bowman who subscribed £300 toward it; stained glass chancel window paid for by Rev James B. Brady, a native of Larne, resident in USA. ‘Southern Cross’ gate in eastern boundary wall donated by Robert Henderson in 1994. References - Primary 1. Belfast News-Letter, 7th April 1883 (tenders invited). Secondary G.H. Bassett, The Book of Antrim (Dublin, 1888), p 369.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

An good example of a late Victorian church by the leading local architect of the period, which retains almost all of its original features.

General Comments

Date of Survey

20 December 1997