Ravara Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church, Saintfield Road, Ravara, Ballygowan, Co. Down, BT23 6HB

This is a charming and unassuming single-storey Non-subscribing Presbyterian church, built in 1838. It is located on a slight rise to the east side of the Saintfield Road, approximately half a mile southwest of Ballygowan, County Down.

The building is rectangular in plan, with the entrance on the short north facade. The entrance features a broad, timber-sheeted door with two steps and a plain stone surround. Above the door is a small double sash window with Georgian panes. Four tall, narrow sash windows with small Georgian panes are set into the longer east and west facades. The short south facade is blank. The exterior is finished with rough cast rendering, with smooth render to the base and wall edges, painted a light ‘terracotta’ tone. The hipped roof is covered with Bangor blue slates and red clay ridge tiles, suggesting a possible re-slating in the mid-20th century. Cast iron rainwater goods are present.

Inside, the interior is largely original. A small upper room is situated above the porch/lobby.

The Ravara Non-subscribing Presbyterian congregation was founded in 1837, a period following the ‘Arian’ or ‘New Light’ controversy. The church was built by the same builders who subsequently constructed the nearby Ballygowan Presbyterian church the following year. Services are now held once a month.

A small graveyard adjoins the north side of the church, containing approximately eleven headstones, the earliest dating from 1851. A simple gate screen with potentially original wrought iron gates marks the roadside boundary.