Holywood Parish Centre, 71 Church Road, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9BX

A multi-bay double- height former school, now church hall, built c.1880 to designs by William Batt. L-shaped on plan with full-height projecting gabled hall and two projecting porches to front; large U-shaped modern extension. Pitched banded natural slate roof with terracotta pointed ridge tiles; raised sandstone verges on scrolled kneelers; decorative masonry vents with trefoil moulding to centre of pitch. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on sandstone eaves with corbelled brackets. Walling is rock-faced with sandstone detailing. Windows are equilateral arched leaded stained glass in sandstone blocked surround with chamfered sills. The principal elevation faces north; symmetrical main block with projecting gabled porch flanked by paired windows. To right is projecting gabled hall; first floor with triple lancet window (middle window is taller); projecting gabled porch glazed to cheeks, flanked by single openings to ground floor. Sandstone scooped band to gable reading “Parochial National Schools 1877”. Doors are timber sheeted with ornamental cast-iron strap hinges in pointed arch sandstone surrounds. To gable of both porches is sandstone carved band; that to right reads “Girl”, that to left reads “Boys”. The east elevation has two windows and a blind roundel. The south (rear) elevation is abutted by a single-storey U-shaped modern extension, of no interest. To centre is full-height modern window. The west elevation comprises the gabled hall and is five windows wide with gabled dormer containing blind roundel; projecting porch opening to north to far right. Setting The hall is situated in grounds shared by the parish church of St Philip and St James (HB23/20/039) south of Church Road near the centre of Holywood and opposite the mid-19th century terraces of church road. Opening onto Church road to north through tall iron gates and railings; tarmacadam driveway to front leads to a car-park to the rear of the building, enclosed with brick wall. Roof: Natural Slate Walling: stone Windows: stained glass RWG: Cast-iron