Gates and screen, First Presbyterian Church, 80 Church Street, Antrim, BT41 4BA

This gatescreen, dating from the early 19th century with later additions, forms an impressive entrance to the grounds of the First Presbyterian Church.

The gatescreen consists of a pair of openwork iron piers supporting an ironwork archway, with a pair of vehicular gates set centrally. Pedestrian gates and railings flank the central gates, terminating in masonry piers. The arrangement is east to west with the front facing north. The openwork piers, appearing to be from the 19th century, are square with semi-circular arched sides topped with square, ogee openwork caps, all embellished with ornate scrollwork panels. They support a later, simpler two-tier openwork arch of 20th-century appearance, inscribed with the church’s name. The central gates, also appearing 19th century, are made of vertical and looped bars with spear-head finials. The flanking gates and railings, of 20th-century appearance, consist of vertical bars with spear-head finials rising from a bottom rail, featuring large scrolls beneath. To the right is a masonry pier, part of the adjoining Masonic Hall (listed separately), constructed of basalt rubble with a painted white plinth and cusped gabled cap, possibly of sandstone, with circular sunkings on each face. The masonry pier to the left is square with stop-chamfered corners on a plain base, topped with a plain gabled cap, finished in smooth cement render and painted, and also displaying circular sunkings in each face. Railings extend eastward, forming the front boundary of the church. The original gates were erected in 1831 and described as being made of “wrought hammered work” by an unknown craftsman. A later overthrow and mountings are considered 20th-century additions. The structures stand at the entrance to the driveway from the main street, with the Masonic Hall to the west and the Presbyterian Church hall to the east.