First Holywood Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, High Street, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9AQ

A freestanding double-height Classical Non-Subscribing Presbyterian church, built c.1850 to designs by Sir Charles Lanyon. The church is rectangular on plan with an undercroft accessed from rear. Roof is hipped natural slate (concealed to front by a balustraded parapet) with ogee cast-iron rainwater goods on cavetto moulded stone eaves over brick eaves course to secondary elevations. The classical front has stucco walling painted. Secondary elevations have rubble basalt walling, roughly coursed. Windows are round-headed throughout with stucco archivolts and keyblock to classical front, brick dressed and set in shallow recesses rising from floor level on side elevations. The side elevations have a moulded string at impost level rising over window heads to archivolt and keyblock. All have projecting stone sills, some painted , and secondary glazing. All doors are double-leaf three-panelled timber with moulded architraves and brass knobs, unless otherwise stated. Classical front faces south and comprises a portico in antis supported on two Corinthian columns complete with pilaster responds, with entablature. Antae are framed with matching pilasters and each has a blind semi-circular-headed recess with projecting moulded sill on scrolled brackets over a square panel, all with moulded surrounds. Three doors set to portico, each with drip stone on ornate scrolled brackets and having blind arched niche over; granite threshold accessed by three granite steps. Cheeks project from the main side elevations and each has a high-level window. West elevation is abutted by a modern access ramp at south end, forming a boiler house beneath accessed from the undercroft. Five openings wide to main body of church, former window to mid level at south has been replaced with door, detailed as others. The undercroft has four 8/8 margin-paned windows. Rear elevation has a modern single access door to centre flanked by two multi-pane timber windows all set in a brick dressed opening. Otherwise blank with the exception of a rubble stone relieving arch to centre. East elevation is as west, with original mid-level window retained at south end, set over a modern access door to undercroft. Setting The church is set back from Main Street in a tarmacadam site, sloping to rear and enclosed on three sides by a tall rubble stone boundary wall with soldier coping. The site is bounded to street by a cast-iron spear-headed railing with matching double gates. To front is a granite obelisk memorial to the Rev. Charles James McAlester, erected 1891. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Stucco and basalt rubble Windows: timber RWG: cast-iron