Church of the Ascension, Cloughfern, 126 Doagh Road, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT37 9QR

Church of the Ascension, Cloughfern

A detached Church of Ireland church completed in 1952, located on the south side of Doagh Road in a residential area of Newtownabbey. The building was designed by architect Anthony Frederick Lucy of Holywood, County Down, constructed as a dual-purpose building serving both church and church hall functions, and dedicated by the Bishop of Connor at a cost of £15,000.

The church is rectangular in plan with a chancel and engaged belfry at the east end. Projecting bays extend from both the east and west ends of the north and south elevations. The pitched tiled roof includes catslide sections over these projections, with deep overhanging eaves and timber bargeboards. The walls are constructed in stretcher-bonded red brick.

The principal gable faces east, with an abutted chancel at the centre. This chancel features a round-arched-headed stained glass window at upper level, flanked by a series of brick relief motifs, over a group of three square-headed windows at basement level. To the left stands an engaged belfry containing a round-arched-headed aperture housing a bronze bell. The exposed sections either side contain a timber sheeted door to the basement at the left and two square-headed windows at upper level at the right, with a single window at basement level.

The south elevation comprises a five-window-wide nave, with each window separated by buttresses. Projecting bays flank either side, each containing a porch and offices. The left bay contains three windows to the left and square-headed double-leaf raised-and-fielded timber panelled entrance doors to the right, with a banded concrete surround to the voussoirs; this entrance is accessed by two steps enclosed by walling and railings. The right bay contains three windows at ground and basement level to the right and a single window at ground floor to the left, with an entrance door matching that on the west elevation.

The west elevation is abutted by a double-height gabled projection at the centre, with single windows at ground floor level in the exposed sections to left and right.

The north elevation comprises a seven-window-wide nave, each window separated by buttresses. A vestry abutts the left side, containing three windows at ground and basement level, with a lean-to shed at the right containing a square-headed timber sheeted door to the right and a single window to the west. A projecting bay containing offices abuts the right side, lit by three windows and accessed by a timber sheeted door to the east.

Windows throughout are metal-framed. The nave windows are original round-arched metal framed casements with interlocking Y-tracery and textured glass; all other windows are square-headed metal casements. All windows have brick voussoirs and painted masonry sills.

The church site sits within its own churchyard set back from Doagh Road, bounded by hedging with access via an avenue through an alcoved entrance comprising square brick pillars and walling with masonry coping surmounted by metal railings and supporting a pair of metal gates. Adjacent to the church are a hall built circa 1955 to the north and a rectory to the south-east, both constructed in the style of the church.