Killead Presbyterian Church, Killead Road, Aldergrove, Crumlin, Co Antrim

Killead Presbyterian Church is a gabled Presbyterian church of 18th century foundation, with fabric that is largely 19th century in character, set on a corner site within its own churchyard on Killead Road, Aldergrove. Originally built around 1750, the church underwent extensive repairs and alterations in 1828–29, at which point it acquired its essential T-plan, galleried interior arrangement, and characteristic Georgian fenestration; a new roof was fitted, new pews installed, and the previous old lead windows were replaced by timber sashes. The building has continued to evolve since, incorporating late Victorian fittings and a series of mid to late 20th century additions. The loss of earlier elements and the use of inappropriate materials have affected its character, but its relatively early foundation, its local social and historical significance, and its associated railings and Cunningham Memorial are considered sufficient to justify listing.

The church is laid out on a T-plan, with a later gabled extension projecting from the long south wall, carried on pilotis. There are three entrances: one in a gabled porch projecting from the east gable, one in the east side of the north aisle (which serves as the main entrance), and one in the single-storey extension to the west.

East Elevation

The east elevation is two storeys in height and comprises the entrance gable to the left, with the north aisle recessed behind it to the right. The east gable is rendered with a dry dash of marble chippings, with smooth rendered rusticated quoins at the extremities and a smooth rendered base. The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses, with the eaves oversailing on shaped brackets and black-painted wooden barge boards.

At first-floor level in the gable is a semi-circular headed window with a timber fixed light of six panes. Above it sits a three-pane top-hung opening light, surmounted by a semi-circular fanlight containing intersecting Gothic tracery lights. This appears to be a modern replacement for an original timber sliding sash window, with exposed sash boxes retained. The surround is continuous smooth cement render with a stop-chamfered inner edge, and there is a projecting stone cill.

Below this window, at ground-floor level, is a single-storey gabled porch. Its walling matches the main gable; the roof is slated to match the main roofs and has similar barge boards, though without brackets. Moulded PVC gutters run to each side, with cast iron downpipes mounted on moulded PVC eaves boards, and wooden soffits. The porch gable contains a rectangular timber fixed light with a leaded panel protected by an outer layer of glazing, set in a smooth cement rendered surround with a stop-chamfer and a projecting concrete cill. The north side wall of the porch is blank. The south side wall contains a rectangular entrance door — a modern six-panel hardwood door with a modern brass handle — set in a rusticated smooth cement rendered surround with a simulated flat arch to the head and a cement doorstep.

To the right of the porch, partially cut into by the porch gutter, is a stone wall plaque in a plain neo-Grec style. It incorporates an inset white marble plaque in memory of Alexander Erskine, who died in 1837.

The east wall of the north aisle has at ground-floor level a semi-circular headed window containing a twelve-pane timber fixed light with intersecting Gothic tracery glazing bars, with exposed sash boxes and surrounds and cill matching those described above — this window also appears to be a modern replacement for an original sliding sash. Above, at first-floor level, is a circular window with a raised smooth cement rendered surround, glazed as a fixed light with intersecting triangles forming a Star of David pattern to the glazing bars and translucent glass, some panes tinted. To the right of this is the main entrance doorway, similar in type to the side entrance in the porch but wider to accommodate double doors, with a concrete step.

South Elevation

The south elevation has two semi-circular headed windows at ground-floor level, one to each side of a projecting central gabled outshot. This outshot is supported on two rectangular smooth cement rendered piers at its corners, and it is carried out over two graves below.

The two outer windows in the main church wall are timber fixed lights with small panes matching those described elsewhere. The two inner windows, closer to the outshot, each incorporate a three-pane top-hung opening light. The gable of the outshot has a central blind semi-circular headed panel, blocked with smooth cement render and containing an off-centre modern metal ventilator grille within a smooth cement rendered surround, unchamfered. The outshot walling is rendered with a dry dash similar to the main church walls but using yellow-coloured chippings rather than marble, with smooth cement rendered rusticated quoins. The gable has concrete copings shouldered at the ends and surmounted by a shaped stone finial. A modern metal ventilator grille is fitted to the bottom left-hand side of the gable. Lead flashing is turned down over the smooth rendered corner piers and beam. The roof is slated as elsewhere. The side walls of the outshot have the same render as the gable and are carried on a smooth cement rendered beam along the bottom with a moulded cement cornice along the top, notched to each side to accommodate downpipes of PVC with moulded PVC gutters.

Directly beneath the organ loft is the grave of the Reverend Samuel John Hamilton, who died in 1933. Partly beneath the outshot is the family burial place of the Reverend Joseph McKee, a 19th century memorial of plain design. Neither memorial is of special architectural interest.

The south elevation of the main church body has two flush rooflights. Moulded PVC gutters with short downpipes — the shorter downpipes appearing to be cast iron — discharge to the gutters of the outshot below.

West Elevation

The west elevation comprises the main two-storey gable to the right and the north aisle wing set back to the left, with a later single-storey extension projecting forward from the main gable. The character and materials of the main gable and north wing are generally similar to the east elevation. The north wing has a cast iron downpipe to the left of a semi-circular headed timber fixed light glazed as previously described, with a large circular window above it, similar to that on the east elevation. The downpipe discharges into a modern plastic gulley. To the left of the downpipe is a basement doorway containing a modern six-panel door, reached by concrete steps enclosed by a modern steel gate and railings. There is a prominent chimney of smooth cement render, lined and blocked, with one modern terracotta pot. The main west gable has a first-floor window similar to that on the east elevation.

The single-storey extension to the west is of canted form. Its walls are rendered with a dry dash of stone chippings, with cement quoins at the angles, timber fascias, moulded PVC guttering, and PVC downpipes. The roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. On the west face is a semi-circular headed timber window with small panes, comprising a fixed portion at the bottom surmounted by a bottom-hung vent above. The flanking angled face to the left has a rectangular fixed light of decorative leaded glass, and the flanking angled face to the right has a rectangular six-pane fixed light with a six-pane top-hung vent above. On the north side of the extension is a rectangular timber fixed light of four panes with a two-pane top-hung vent above. All windows have raised smooth cement rendered surrounds and projecting concrete cills. The south side of the extension has a modern rectangular six-panel timber door. The north side carries two old marble inscription plaques mounted in rendered surrounds.

North Elevation

The north elevation comprises a central projecting north gable with the north walls of the east and west aisles set back behind. The main north gable is of similar character to the other main gables and contains two tall semi-circular headed windows with timber fixed lights incorporating horizontal glazing bars and narrow margin lights, translucent glazing with some panes tinted, raised cement rendered surrounds, and projecting concrete cills. The north face of the east aisle has one semi-circular headed window with a twelve-pane timber fixed light and Gothic tracery lights, with a cast iron downpipe to the right. The north face of the west side has a similar window with a cast iron downpipe to the left.

Historical Development

Originally built around 1750, the church underwent extensive repairs and alterations in 1828–29, when it acquired its essential T-plan, galleried interior, and characteristic Georgian fenestration. The earlier exterior stone steps to the gallery were removed in 1895 and replaced by the present internal wooden staircase; the galleries in their present form appear to date from this late Victorian period. The exterior walls were raised to form parapets in 1937, and the church was re-roofed from the new parapet height in 1962. The organ chamber was added behind the pulpit in 1952, projecting to the south on two piers, and the pulpit was remodelled at the same time. A minister's room and meeting room were added to the west in 1993, as was the extension to the west.

Setting

The church stands on a corner site within its own grounds. The grounds are enclosed on the east and north sides by wrought iron railings, on the south side by a hedge, and on the west side by a rendered wall to each side of a two-storey outbuilding that was originally the old school. The grounds contain numerous graves with mainly 19th century headstones set in grassy lawns. The church is surrounded by tarmac paths with some mature yew trees within the churchyard. The path to the west is approached from the car park through a pair of double gates of similar design to the railings. The path to the south is approached from the manse grounds through a small plain looped iron gate. The path to the east is approached through the main gateway.

The boundary walls and railings to the churchyard were built in 1902 but were set back by almost two metres all round in 1963 to allow room for a public footpath. Mature trees around the churchyard were removed in 1960. Old fallen headstones were set against the wall of the old school along the west boundary in 1968. The paths around the church were laid with tarmac and given concrete kerbs in 1975.

A First World War Roll of Honour mounted on the wall in the north porch incorporates a watercolour vignette of the church showing the south elevation before the building of the organ loft, providing a useful record of the earlier appearance of the building.