Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/36/005

Address :
Shankill Baptist Church Tennent Street Belfast Co Antrim BT14 7GL

Townland:
Edenderry

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
25/09/1987 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

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OS Map No:
130-13 NW

IG Ref:
J3216 7490

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Owner Category

Church - Other

Exterior Description And Setting

Symmetrical attached gable-fronted double-height Baptist church, built c. 1905, built to designs by James, A. Hanna. Rectangular-on-plan facing east. Abutted at south-west corner by brick extension built c.1985. Abutted at west by Glenwood Primary School (HB26/26/006), and at north-east by terraced housing, both built c.1920. Located on the west side of Tennent Street, Belfast. Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black clay ridge tiles, lead-valleys, narrow torus moulded stone verges supported on stone kneelers, replacement uPVC ogee rainwater goods on brick corbel-course. Louvered lantern with projecting moulded rafters supporting ogee copper covered dome roof with spike finial, openings are cusped and vented. Garden-wall bonded red brick walling with projecting sandstone plinth course with lead capping. Sandstone continuous string course at sill level and double-height stepped angle buttresses with offsets and stone weathering. Equilateral-arched window openings with chamfered brick reveal with plain stop chamfer, sandstone splayed sill, (east gable opes have chamfered ashlar sandstone head with hood mould over and plain sandstone mullions and transom at east), all containing Art Nouveau leaded stained glass with external storm-glazing (unless otherwise stated). Gabled east elevation comprises projecting gabled entrance porch at centre with squat lateral buttresses with offsets and weathering, surmounted by sandstone torus moulded stone verge with projecting polygonal piers (one above each buttress and one to centre of each verge) and gothic style finial. Replacement timber sheeted entrance doors in equilateral arched opening are framed by timber framed replacement sidelights with original stained glass fanlight over with storm-glazing. Entrance accessed by six tiled steps via original cast-iron gates (three replacement mild steel handrails to steps). Entrance is flanked by single window at each side. Entrance surmounted by large Art Nouveau stained glass window comprising five narrow lights divided by flying mullions rising to eaves level and contained within a pseudo-four-centred arched sandstone surround. Moulded architrave is flanked by slender piers extending below the splayed sill and breaking eaves. Brick tourelles commencing from east verge at each side of main entrance, supported on corbel (with fleuron below) and sandstone detailing including octagonal pointed capping. South nave elevation is abutted at left by double-height modern extension built c.1985. Exposed section at right contains secondary entrance at right contained between two buttresses with offsets and weathering. Entrance comprises pseudo-four-centred arch containing replacement timber sheeted entrance door at left and window with trefoil over at right; stained glass fanlight over openings and lean-to natural slate roof over entrance. Entrance accessed by two paved steps. Between entrance and modern extension three angle buttresses divide a further four equilateral-arched windows with splayed sandstone sills (no mullions or transoms), window at right altered (diminished in height) with disabled access door below, accessed via ramp. West elevation access was limited at time of survey (see surveyor’s comments). Interior confirms that the west gable contains three leaded stained glass lancets, south-west extension is blank. (West gable faces onto back of Glenwood Primary School HB26/36/006.) North elevation access was limited at time of survey (see surveyor's comments). At left, a lean-to single-storey annex adjoins the end terrace of Tennent Street. At right a single-storey concrete block extension adjoins the south side of Glenwood Primary School, enclosing access to the west side of the church. Exposed section above extension contains single window above former external door (now located inside). At centre three angle buttresses with offsets and weathering divide three pointed-arched windows. Setting Set on a city centre site to the north of Shankill Road, Belfast. Modern hall constructed at north-west corner of site with access to small public car park at south. Pedestrian access via two pairs of decorative cast-iron gates (paint finish removed) and brick piers at east. Railings supported on brick plinth wall with stone chamfered coping. Church entirely closed at west and north by Glenwood Primary School (HB26/36/006) and terraced housing along Tennent Street, each built c.1920. Roof Natural Slate RWG Cast-iron Walling brick Windows stained glass

Architects

Hanna, James A

Historical Information

Shankill Baptist Church was constructed between 1904 and 1907 to designs by James A. Hanna. The church is first shown (captioned) on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey map (1920-31). In the mid-nineteenth century the site had accommodated Glenwood Corn and Flour Mill (Second Edition Ordnance Survey, 1857), but by 1900 Belfast Revaluations record a vacant site to contain the ‘Life of Baptist Chapel and yard’, in ownership of John Polley. Annual Revisions (1906-15) confirm the completion date of the ‘Baptist Chapel’ as 1907, on land remaining in the ownership of the Polley family. The development of Tennent Street indicated over the Ordnance Survey series (1857-1901) is commensurate with the rapid development and population increase of the Shankill area in the later nineteenth century. Information held by the church suggests that in 1896 around forty Baptists met in a schoolroom on Tennent Street, preceding the purchase of the land in 1897. Architect James A. Hanna had designed a number of Baptist churches in Belfast, including those on the Antrim Road (HB26/42/003) and Clifton Park Avenue (Larmour;DIA). The building could accommodate 400 people, with vestry accommodation and baptistery. Irish Baptists had a long history in Belfast, but congregations tended to be small and therefore there were relatively few churches of this type in the city. According to Boal and Royle (2006) the total number of churches in Ireland by the end of the nineteenth century was 31. The favoured style in nineteenth century non-conformist churches tended to be a simple interpretation of the Gothic idiom, but by the beginning of the twentieth century ecclesiastical architecture was being influenced by a broader range of stylistic influences, including Edwardian freestyles and Art Nouveau. As Larmour (1987) points out, this is aptly illustrated by the floral patterns in the stained glass and unusual flying mullions of Shankill Baptist Church. During the 1980s a substantial extension was added to the southwest corner of the building (HB file). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI VAL/12/E/192/L/21/1- Valuation Map– (1897-1905) 2. PRONI VAL/12/E/192/L/21/2 -Valuation Map – (1906-28) 3. PRONI VAL/12/E/192/L/21/3- Valuation Map – (1928-35) 4. PRONI OS/6/1/60/1 First Edition Os Map (1832-33) 5. PRONI OS/6/1/60/2 Second Edition OS Map (1857) 6. PRONI OS/6/1/60/3 Third Edition OS Map (1901) 7. PRONI OS/6/1/60/4 Fourth Edition OS Map (1920-31) 8. PRONI OS/6/1/60/5 Fifth Edition OS Map (1920-38) 9. PRONI VAL/7/B/11/7- Belfast Revaluations (1900) 10. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/M/4 - Annual Revisions (1906-15) 11. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/M/7- Annual Revisions (1916-30) 12. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/17- First General Revaluation (1935) 13. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/35- Second General Revaluation (1956-72) 14. Belfast and Ulster Street Directories 1887-1988 15. HB File (HB26/36/005) Secondary Sources 1. Walker, Simon “Historic Ulster Churches” QUB, Belfast (2000) 2. Boal, Frederick & Royle, Stephen “Enduring City: Belfast in the Twentieth Century” Blackstaff Press, Belfast (2006) 3. Larmour, P “Belfast, An Illustrated Architectural Guide” (1987) 4. www.dia.ie - Dictionary of Irish Architects online 5. Wiener, R “The Rape and Plunder of the Shankill” Farset Co-operative Press Ltd, Belfast, 1978 (2nd ed 1980). 6. Shankill Baptist Church “Our History” (n.d) http://www.shankillbaptist.com/page5.html

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

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

Evaluation

Symmetrical attached gable-fronted double-height Baptist church, built c.1905 to designs by James A. Hanna. Constructed in a Gothic freestyle with Art Nouveau influences expressed in the original stained glass windows and the unusual flying mullions. Although there have been minor alterations, much historic fabric survives and it is in an unusual style. The adjacent buildings and extensions detract from the original setting, but overall the church remains a good example of the work of noteworthy architect.

General Comments

Date of Survey

31 July 2012