Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB25/01/002

Address :
St. Ignatius' Church of Ireland Saintfield Road/Comber Road Carryduff County Down BT8 8BU

Townland:
Carryduff

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
11/10/1994 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:
166/7

IG Ref:
J3715 6516

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Owner Category

Church - C of I

Exterior Description And Setting

Attached double-height rendered Church of Ireland church, built c.1965 to the designs of Donald A. Shanks. Loosely hexagonal on plan facing southwest with flat-roofed glazed entrance lobby and spire to the west and located on a large corner site to the west of Saintfield Road and Comber Road. Entrance lobby attached to a double-height hall, built c.1954, extensively renovated and extended c.1990. Geomtric concrete tiled roof with six gables emanating from a central nodal point. Lead-lined valleys and metal hoppers and downpipes. Painted concrete walling with brown brick plinth course. Irregularly-shaped window openings in concrete frames with steel-framed leaded coloured glazing, designed by Frank Foster of York House Studios Belfast. Angled front southwest elevation has a large kite-shaped window opening filling the entire gable and a triangular-arched door opening with sheeted hardwood door and glazed side and overpanel. The angled gable to the left is defined by a lozenge-shaped concrete frame with a triangular-shaped window opening to the lower half. The west gable is abutted by a flat-roofed entrance wing surmounted by a slender copper-clad spire on four legs. The entrance wing has moulded concrete walls and an angular glazed projection on an overhanging concrete base with steel-framed windows having irregular coloured glazing and leaded stained glass. The rear elevation of the entrance wing also has an angular glazed projection with steel-framed windows and doors opening onto a concrete paved platform enclosed by original steel railing and cast-concrete steps with open risers. The remainder of the rear elevation is detailed as per front elevation with the triangular-arched door opening onto a concrete platform and flight of open riser concrete steps enclosed by original steel railing. The north elevation comprises a large single gable with a cental kite-shaped concrete frame with large timber crucifix filling the frame. To either side is a diminutive landscape window opening. Setting: Set on a corner site of Saintfield Road and Comber Road at a slightly lower level to Saintfield Road enclosed by a low redbrick wall with original steel railings. To the rear is a large bitmac parking area and landscaped garden. Roof Concrete tile RWG Metal Walling Cement render Windows steel frames - Stained glass

Architects

Shanks, Donald A.

Historical Information

In the 1950’s and 60’s, Carryduff began to be developed as a satellite commuter town for Belfast, with an associated rapid increase in population. Before that time, Carryduff had been a small village of a few houses and a Presbyterian church which served the village and local rural community. The Church of Ireland established a need for a place of worship in the village and by 1952 regular services were being held in a local barn. The response was encouraging and in 1954 a dual-purpose hall with spire was erected to designs by Dennis O’D Hanna. In September 1964 the foundation stone was laid for a new church to the designs of Donald A Shanks. The design joined an extended parochial hall to a new polygonal nave by means of a chapel dedicated to Bishop Jeremy Taylor (bishop of Down and Connor 1661-1667). A new spire was erected over the main entrance to church and hall, and the spire over the parochial hall was replaced with a roof light. The contractors were Sloan Brothers Ltd of Belfast and the cost £32,000. The church is able to seat 200 people and a further 50 by opening out the folding doors across the entrance to the nave. (Clergy of Down and Dromore; Parish History) The church is first shown on the OS map edition dating from the 1960s/70s captioned ‘Ch[urch] (CofI)’. The church hall enters valuation records in 1956 at a valuation of £75, increased to £540 in 1966 after the addition of the church to the site. (First and Second General Revaluation) Donald Shanks was Belfast Education Board Architect from 1954 to 1960, when he went into private practice with Edwin Leighton. The firm was joined by Jim Kennedy in 1964 and Joe Fitzgerald in 1965 and produced several bold educational buildings such as Victoria College and Portadown New Technical College. The firm was also responsible for Dungannon District Council Offices. (Modern Ulster Architecture) Stained glass windows were designed by Frank Foster and manufactured by Messrs J McManus Ltd, Belfast. The original electric organ by the Compton Organ Company of London was replaced in 1984 with an Allen organ and the original was installed in Killaney church. The church bell is c280 years old and originally hung, as part of a peal of bells, in the tower of Faughart church, County Louth. The bell was preserved after the destruction of Faughart church and lay in the Rectory of St Nicholas’ church in Dundalk for many years before being brought by car to Carryduff by a parishioner. (Parish History) In 1990 the church was extended once again, by means of additions to the north and east façades of the parochial hall. The improvements included enlarging the kitchen, provision of a Vestry and Choir Room, new toilet facilities, a lobby, a minor hall with a small kitchen, two upstairs rooms, storage space and new heating and lighting systems. The new hall complex was named the Dean Good Memorial Hall and was designed by Ernest Knox architects at a cost of £113,000. Parish History) Since 1954, Carryduff church has been grouped with the older church of Killaney, with whom it shares a rector. (Clergy of Down and Dromore) References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/19 – First General Revaluation (1936-57) 2. PRONI VAL/4/B/3/47 – Second General Revaluation (1956-72) 3. Belfast Newsletter, 4th October 1965 Secondary Sources 1. Evans, D; Hackett, M; Hall, A; Larmour, P; Rattray C “Modern Ulster Architecture” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2006 2. “Parish of Carryduff – the Church of St Ignatius” Men’s Forum, 1990 3. Rankin, F., Leslie, Canon, J.B., Swanzy, Dean H.B. “Clergy of Down and Dromore” Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1996

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form E. Spatial Organisation F. Structural System I. Quality and survival of Interior

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity Z. Rarity Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Rendered, well detailed Church of Ireland church, built c.1965 to the designs of Donald A. Shanks, who was an important exponent in the development of modern church architecture in N Ireland. Loosely hexagonal on plan facing southwest with flat-roofed glazed entrance lobby and spire to the west and located on a large corner site to the west of Saintfield Road and Comber Road. An unusual layout and design with a creative use of light; good stained glass windows and other well designed internal features. The unusual and innovative roof structure adds to the interest of this fine example of Church of Ireland architecture.

General Comments

Date of Survey

06 May 2011