Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB24/05/031

Address :
Millisle and Ballycopeland Presbyterian Church Ballywalter Road Ballymacruise Millisle Newtownards Co. Down BT22 2HS

Townland:
Ballymacruise

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
20/12/1976 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:
132/12

IG Ref:
J5993 7588

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Owner Category

Church - Presbyterian

Exterior Description And Setting

Largely ‘T’ shaped but sprawling single storey gabled church set close to the shore on the E side of the Ballywalter Road, in the SE corner of the village of Millisle. The facade is completely covered in a salt & pepper-like dry dash render, the gabled roofs now have asbestos free slates and the timber window frames appear to have been replaced recently, all of which taken together has given the building a somewhat sharp modern appearance. The main body of the church is the horizontal of the ‘T’ shape and runs from N to S. It is a simple gabled structure with four large semicircular headed windows with plain render surrounds and stained glass, to the W facade. At each gable is a set of stone steps which lead to a panelled door at the upper level of a plain (functional looking) full height projection. Each door leads to a gallery within the church. There is a panelled door at ground level of the N face of the N projection and the S face of the S projection, both of which lead into the main body of the church. There is a small upper level window on the E face of both N and S projections. To the E facade of the main section, is a window, as before, to the far left (S) and to the far right. Between these windows extends the ‘vertical’ stroke of the ‘T’. This section has a gabled roof and to it’s N facade has a window, as previous, and a small ‘boiler house’ projection. The S facade has a similar window. To it’s E facing gable there is a large stairwell projection which is basically semicircular (or arched) in plan with a castellated parapet and very large six pane window. To the N side of this stairwell is a chimney breast (which also attached to the E facing gable), rising to a plain looking chimney stack. Projecting from the S side of this stairwell is a large-ish single storey gabled section which extends at an angle, running NW to SE. To it’s SW facade there is a panelled double door and modern window with another modern window to the NE facade. From the SE gable of this section extends a high rendered wall which joins to a small store-like structure with a mono pitched roof, which in turn is linked (via a wall) to a gabled outbuilding/church office to the S, which has modern windows and a door. Small graveyard to E and S with headstones dating from 1850.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This church was built in 1773, shortly after the formation of the Millisle Presbyterian Congregation. While the church was in the process of construction, a number of members of the congregation broke away and proceeded to build their own church at Ballycopeland. In 1828 the Millisle church was re-roofed and five years later a new gallery was installed in the south end. The OS Memoirs describe the building at this stage as having ‘58 seats, [which] would contain 6 each; also 2 small galleries in which there are 16 seats, 8 each, would accomodate 6 persons in every seat. Dimensions: [ground plan dimensions 60 by 42 feet, “T” shape]...about 150 attend on Sunday’. In 1836 the session house to the south of the church was converted to a school house (the first school in Millisle). In 1906 the Millisle and Ballycopeland congregations were re-united and in 1934 the Millisle church was completely renovated with the north and south facing porches rebuilt, a new (semicircular) porch added to the east gable, windows enlarged and new galleries, pulpit, pews and a new floor installed. The building has been substantially renovated on at least one occasion since the 1930s, with the entire facade re-rendered and window frames replaced. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI MIC IP/382 Records of Millisle Presbyterian Church 1773-1950. 2 PRONI Ordnance Survey maps 1st Edition, 1833/4, Down 7. 3 Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), p.49. 4 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps 1st Revision, 1858-60, Down 7. Secondary sources 1 Rev. T. Kilpatrick 'Millisle and Ballycopeland Presbyterian Church- a short history' (Newtownards 1934). 2 Grace Seymour 'Echoes of Millisle and district' (Rathfriland ?1980).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Single storey Presbyterian church, originally built in 1773 and progressively added to in later years. This building is roughly ‘T’ shaped but its various stairwell projections and the proximity of a related building to the south side has given it a complex, sprawling appearance. The church has been substantially renovated on a number of occasions in fairly recent times and some exterior detailing such as quoins and castellations have disappeared in the process and the facade now possesses a somewhat sharp, modern air. The window openings on the main body of the church were enlarged in 1934.

General Comments

Date of Survey

04 March 1998