Holywood Methodist Church, Church Road, Holywood, Co Down

A double-height red-brick Methodist church dated 1870 and located south of Church Road in Holywood town centre. Rectangular on plan with double-height hall and single-storey extension to rear (of no interest); single-storey porch to side elevations. Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and spiked finial to apex of gable; raised sandstone verges with decorative carved pinnacles to gable ends. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on decorative stepped brick eaves. Walling is Flemish-bonded red brick with sandstone courses and chamfered plinth. Windows are a variety of slender Gothic-headed leaded-and-stained glass in recessed brick surrounds having sandstone keyblock and cut brick at springing level; sandstone band to continuous sills. Principal elevation faces northeast comprising central breakfront dominated by three Gothic-headed windows (that to centre is taller), flanked by narrow side bays each with a single window and dated roundel (that to left reads AD; that to right reads 1870). Central entrance comprising a pair of replacement timber doors with transom lights, set in a double-Gothic-headed ashlar sandstone surround with label moulds having carved stops and ornate finials, supported by semi-engaged colonnettes on chamfered plinths with acanthus leaf capitals. Vented lancet to gable. The southeast elevation is five windows wide having two buttresses with sandstone offsets; abutted at left by the single-storey flat-roof porch opening to southwest with two windows to northeast elevation. The southwest gable has projecting chimney flue; abutted at centre by modern double-height hall which is further abutted single-storey extension. The northwest elevation is five windows wide having two buttresses with sandstone offsets; abutted at right by early single-storey porch under catslide roof having modern timber-sheeted door with sidelight to right; segmental-headed window to northeast elevation. Setting Prominently situated on the corner of Church Road and Church View in a commercial and residential area of Holywood town centre. Facing is a terrace of mid-twentieth-century houses; earlier terraced houses to rear on Church view. Low red-brick boundary wall with masonry caps to north and west, surmounted by replacement cast-iron railings; pedestrian entrance to northwest and vehicular access to north corner each having red brick gate piers with chamfered plinth and pointed sandstone caps, supporting replacement cast-iron gates. Boundary hedge to east and private lane to rear. Gravelled car-park to front and southeast. Roof: Natural slate Walling: brick Windows: Leaded and stained glass RWG: Cast-iron