High Street Presbyterian Church, High Street, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9AE

A double height stone Presbyterian church, built 1858 to designs by Young and MacKenzie, located on the south side of High Street, Holywood. The church is rectangular on plan, gabled with cruciform roof structure; stair towers flank the principal gable. Roof is pitched natural slate with raised stone verges, saddleback masonry coping sandstone kneeler stones with gablets. Rainwater goods are ogee cast-iron on moulded painted masonry eaves. Walling is random coursed rubble stone over a chamfered sandstone plinth; crenellated parapet to stair towers. Stepped buttresses to principal gable and set diagonally to flanking stair towers; quoins to rear (some replacements). Windows are stained glass lancets set in chamfered ashlar sandstone reveals (some replacement stonework); triple arrangement to gables. Double pointed-arched headed principal entrance set in a replacement chamfered sandstone surround with moulded head and rubble voussoirs over. Doors are modern glazed. Principal entrance gable faces north and has a triple lancet over the double entrance door. Stair towers each have a window to north. Side elevations are each gabled at north end having a triple arrangement of lancets, three openings wide to remainder. Rear elevation is abutted by a gabled extension with pitched roof and roughcast walling; smooth render quoins. It is lit by a triple stained glass lancet to rear having cement rendered reveals and a chimneystack projecting from the wall immediately to its right. Setting The church is set on a narrow site back from the road with pavoir forecourt. The original street boundary wall has been removed, but original rubble stone side walls with soldier coping remain, terminated by stone piers with diamond pointed caps. Against the east wall is set an ornate carved limestone memorial with slate plaque bearing a memorial inscription to Rev. James S. Denham (died 1862). There is a narrow tarmac perimeter entry to either side enclosed by steel security gates. There is a church hall to rear, of no interest. Roof: Natural slate Walling: rubble Windows: Stained glass RWG: Cast-iron