Church of St Patrick, 113 Jordanstown Road, Jordanstown, Co Antrim, BT37 0NQ

Church of St Patrick

A detached double-height Celtic Revival Church of Ireland church built around 1866 to designs by W. H. Lynn. The church stands on the north side of Jordanstown Road and comprises a rectangular nave, apsidal chancel to the east end, an engaged tower over the vestry, an aisle and porch to the south, a porch to the north-west, and a return to the north-east.

The building is constructed of squared-and-snecked white sandstone with a rubble basalt plinth, dressed with moulded sandstone sill courses and red sandstone string courses. The pitched natural slate roofs are finished with clay ridge tiles and corbelled eaves, with lead flashing to raised verges. A square chimneystack surmounts the east gable, and a further square chimneystack to the north-east is topped by a circular chimney with coping.

The principal elevation faces south. A porch containing the main entrance abuts the left side; the entrance itself is a round-arched rebated chamfered opening with bead-moulding. The sill course forms a hood moulding over ashlar stone voussoirs inset with a red sandstone archivolt carved with chevron decoration, supported on red sandstone colonnettes with Celtic motifs to the capitals and a white sandstone base with leaf carving at sill height. A blind oculus in the apex contains a cross motif. The aisle abuts the centre, presenting two windows with a gabled end to the right containing a single window surmounted by a timber-framed rose window in an ashlar stone surround with bead moulding; a small window pierces the apex. To the right, the round tower contains a single window to the first stage where the sill course forms a hood moulding, with string courses to eaves height and stair windows at intervals around the tower to upper levels. The final belfry stage contains six round-arched-headed openings surmounted by a conical roof on bead-moulded eaves. The chancel abuts to the rear.

The west elevation is gabled, comprising a pair of windows above a moulded sill course surmounted by a central rose window with ashlar stone surround and bead mouldings, with a small window to the apex. A recent porch with sloped parapet containing a single window abuts the left side. To the right, an aisle contains a single window separated from the nave by a buttress. The main porch adjoins to the right.

The north elevation has a return with a catslide roof on the left containing a single window to each elevation, separated from the nave by a buttress. A recent porch abuts the right side, containing a single window to the left and a square-headed timber-sheeted entrance door to the right. The exposed section of the nave comprises three pairs of windows above a moulded string course. The chancel abuts to the left.

The east elevation is abutted by the apsidal chancel, which displays chevron carving below corbelled eaves. The nave shows four windows above a moulded string course, each flanked by red sandstone colonnettes on plain bases with decorative square capitals bearing Celtic motifs; these are surmounted by archivolts carved with chevron decoration and bead moulding springing from a further moulded string course. The round tower connects to the link block via a vertically-sheeted timber door with decorative cast-iron strap hinges in a shoulder-headed chamfered opening flanked by colonnettes (detailed as the chancel windows) and accessed by seven stone steps. Above is a moulded string course surmounted by semi-circular voussoirs containing a blind oculus, similar to the porch.

Round-arched windows with leaded stained glass in rebated white sandstone surrounds with sandstone voussoirs appear throughout.

The church is set within a churchyard and mature gardens. The site is bounded to Jordanstown Road by coursed rubble walling surmounted by hedging. To the south, a pair of cast-iron gates with cross motifs are supported by square sandstone pillars with bead moulding to the corners and chevron carving to the tops surmounted by pyramidal coping. A further alcoved entrance with square rubble pillars stands to the south-east. To the west is a single-storey Victorian red brick church hall bounded by hedging. A modern car-park and rectory are located to the north. The rainwater goods consist of aluminium box gutters with cast-iron downpipes.