Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/12/015

Address :
Clonallan Parish Church Clonallan Road Warrenpoint Newry Co Down BT34 3QQ

Townland:
Clonallan Glebe

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
12/01/1982 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:
277/5

IG Ref:
J1515 1955

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Owner Category

Church - C of I

Exterior Description And Setting

Barn-plan church with tower, set in a mature churchyard on the E side of the Clonallon Road. Church is aligned roughly E-W. Pitched natural slate roof with plain bargeboards to E end and advanced eaves course carrying half-round cast-iron rainwater goods. All walls are wet cement dashed with a smooth rendered base course. A two-stage tower abuts the front (W) gable of the church. Its first stage rises to the apex of the nave roof. Dressed granite platband between the first and second stages. The second stage has clasping ashlar granite piers to each corner with tapering octagonal pinnacles between which are embattled and coped dashed parapets on dentilled corbelled bases. The front (W) face has a semicircular headed chamfered doorway with deep painted reveals set slightly to right of centre at ground floor. It contains a deeply recessed Gothic headed t+g sheeted door with a central louvre panel. Door is has a narrow pole moulded stucco architrave. Above, to centre, is an ogee-headed fixed 3x5 paned window and granite cill. Its top three panes curve with the ogee head. The N and S cheeks of the first stage are blank. The second stage (belfry) is exposed on all four sides (as it rises above church roof) and each side has a semicircular-headed louvred opening. The exposed front (W) gable of the main church, to left and right of abutting tower, is blank. The left (N) elevation of church is blank. It is abutted to left of centre by a small porch with pitched natural slate roof with walls as church. Its end (N) wall has an infilled semicircular-headed doorway with finely dressed granite jambs and head. Both cheeks are blank. Rear (E) gable of church is abutted by a low single-storey vestry. Its flat leaded roof is obscured on all sides by a low slated parapet. Its walls are as church. Its E face is blank. Its N cheek has a modern six-panelled door and its S cheek has a modern fixed timber window. Over, on main gable of church, is a three-paned Gothic-headed window, with masonry tracery framing three cusped lancets (central one taller) with trefoils in the spandrels. All have leaded and coloured glass. The right (S) elevation of the church has three regularly spaced semicircular-headed window openings. All contain a pair of semicircular-headed lancets with a common spandrel over. All have cast iron frames and quarry glazing with hopper window to middle of right panel. Setting: Churchyard is enclosed to Clonallan Road and Rath Road by a polygonal granite rubble dwarf wall with pitched dressed granite copings. This wall sweeps up a number of times to the N end. Wall carries cast-iron railings with fleur-de-lis finials and decorative queen posts with urn finials. To centre are granite ashlar pillars with pyramidal copings carrying matching gates. The N boundary is enclosed by a higher rubble stone wall. The ground to E of church falls away to a bog. The churchyard has been extended S this century. Graveyard immediately around church contains many memorials in various styles dating back to the 18thC, the majority face E. The earlier memorials are typically in local granite. Some are no more than rounded stones, without inscriptions. Later ones are plainly dressed and inscribed. Early 19thC memorials are in granite also, although some are in slate and others in red sandstone. Late 19thC memorials are typically in Newry granite, with a few notable exceptions. Some of the more interesting memorials include: Peachey Sowerby memorial (c1702). A plain granite memorial with a steeply curving top. Inscribed, ‘IN MEMORY/ of Captain Peachey Sowerby/ of Whitehaven/ who died 20th April 1792’ William Ormondy Memorial (c1734). A sandstone gravestone with rounded head, swept out at each side. Inscribed, ‘ Here lieth the/ the body of William/ Ormondy died May 20th/ 1734’. George Duke Memorial (c1782). Sandstone gravestone with swept head. Inscribed, ‘This is the resting/ place of George/ Duke who departed/ this life the 30th Aug./ 1782 aged 69 years.’ Felix Corran memorial (c1790). Thin granite gravestone with moulded rounded head and chamfered sides, inscribed, ‘Here/ lieth the body of Cap./ Felix Corran who departed/ this life the 1st day of March/ 1790 aged 70 years.’ Hugh Savage memorial (c18443). A slate memorial with three rounded lobes to top. Inscribed, ‘To the memory of Hugh Savage/ many years servant of Roger Hall esq./ of Narrow Water. Died at Warrenpoint/ June 27th 1853. Aged 42 years this/ a memorial is inscribed by one who/ witnessed in him and admired/ patience in tribulation, faith in/ redeeming love, assurance of coming/ Glory unclouded and unquenched/ through protracted sufferings/ death swallowed up in victory.’ Eleanor Harriet Simms memorial (c1895) at NW corner of churchyard. A chamfered granite plinth supports a sandstone slab carved to resemble a rocky outcrop. Over its sloping E face the stone is finely carved to form an open inscribed scroll with very delicately carved floral arrangement at bottom right. Leaded letters let set into the face of the scroll. Edward Richards Memorial (C1883). A polished granite tombstone with steep hipped top. The N face of which is inscribed, ‘EDWARD RICHARDS/ B.A.CAN. AB. M.A. DUB. CLERK OF HOLY ORDERS/ 47 YEARS RECTOR OF CLONALLAN AND CHANCELLOR OF DROMORE/ DIED ON THE 12TH OF FEBRUARY A.D. 1883/ AGED 85 YEARS. George Gartley Moore memorial (c1888). Small gravestone with tapering chamfered sides and trefoil moulded head. One left and right ends of each face are carved quatrefoil flowers. Letters are lead. The grave is enclosed by heavy chains, which are hung from matching chamfered, flower carved posts. William Watson Memorial (c1873). At NW corner of churchyard is a red sandstone Gothic Revival style gravestone in the shape of a gable punctuated with a trefoil hole through on a chamfered base. It has a cusped Gothic inset with an inscribed white marble panel. The sides of the gable have a small colonette to each corner and the gable proper has gabled kneelers and a heavy cruciform gabled finial. The plot is enclosed by a matching pitched Gothic dwarf wall. Dedicated to William Watson JP of Aughnavilla Lodge and his wife Mary (d1892). William James Hall Memorial (c1915). A plain sandstone shield with chamfered edges laid on a large flat polished pink granite tombstone. Hall family plot (late 19thC-early 20thC). A linear enclosure with low chamfered ashlar granite dwarf wall. Inside are five plots, four of which have plain dressed granite tombstones with chamfered edges and lead letters. The fifth plot is unmarked. A typical one rears, Roger Hall Memorial (c1939), ‘IN LOVING MEMORY/ OF/ ROGER HALL/ OF NARROW WATER/ CAPTAIN ROYAL FUSILIERS/ BORN 6 AUGUST 1894/ DIED 3RD FEBRUARY 1939.’ Mary Jane Fleming Memorial (c1942). A large boulder, the top of, which has a recessed circular panel with, painted lead letters reading. ‘TO MY BELOVED MOTHER/ MARY JANE FLEMING/ OF THE CRAG, ROSTREVOR/ PASSED ON OCTOBER 16TH 1942’.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The name Clonallan is derived from Cluain Dallain (Dallan’s Meadow). This is reputedly the site of an Early Christian church built in the 6thC AD by St. Conall. It is said to have been burnt by the Normans. Rectors and curates can be named back until 1422. It was again destroyed in the 1641 rebellion. The present church was built in the late 17thC under Bishop Jeremy Taylor, and was renovated in the 1870s. Of the mentioned tombstones in the churchyard, William Watson was from Aughavilla Lodge (HB16/11/037). The Hall family is of Narrow Water Castle (HB16/11/019). Rev. E. Richards was occupant of Clonallan Rectory (now Mount St Columb HB16/12/008) and his sons erected Rathturret House (HB16/12/009). Secondary Sources 1. Warrenpoint Historical Group Magazine, vol. 16, autumn 1990. Copy held in Warrenpoint public library. 2. Historical information framed and hung in church vestibule.

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 J. Setting

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

This church is of some antiquity, and was refurbished in the 1870s. Its tower is its most striking feature, and its mature churchyard setting, with memorials dating from the early 18thC, adds a great deal to the buildings overall character. It retains a good Victorian interior with box pews, and numerous good memorials.

General Comments

Date of Survey

01 November 1999