Holy Trinity (C of I) Church, Whitechurch Road, Whitechurch, Ballywalter, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT22 2JY

Holy Trinity Church, Whitechurch, Ballywalter

Holy Trinity is a small, rubble-built Church of Ireland parish church located on a slight rise on the west side of Whitechurch Road at the northern edge of Ballywalter village in County Down. Built between 1847 and 1849 to designs by architect Joseph Welland, the church was constructed to serve the growing population of Ballywalter and to supplement Balligan Church, which had served the combined parishes of Ballywalter, Ballyhalbert and Kircubbin since 1704.

The building is a single-storey Gothic structure of compact but complex plan. Welland's original design consisted of a simple gabled church with a side porch, chancel and transept projections. In 1852, architect William Burn added a side aisle to the west, housed in a slightly smaller gabled structure. This addition created the distinctive double gabled north and south elevations that characterise the building today.

The church is constructed in square snecked scabbled greywacke stone with sandstone dressings. Roofs are slated with Bangor blue slates, and all gables feature sandstone capped parapets. Cast iron rainwater goods are fitted throughout.

The east elevation displays the entrance porch as a small gabled projection to the left, with a gabled transept projection to the right and a small lean-to projection between them. The south elevation comprises double gables; the right-hand gable (original) features central buttresses rising from either side of the window and joining to full height to form a small bellcote. The left-hand gable projects forward slightly. The west elevation is divided into four bays created by five oversized buttresses, with the gable of the vestry projecting to the extreme left. The north facade shows a central gable marking the chancel, with the vestry alongside and the end wall of the side aisle rising behind. Steps from this elevation lead down into a semi-basement boiler room.

Windows are predominantly lancets arranged as singles (mainly on the east), pairs to the west, and triples on the north and south elevations. Many openings feature drip mouldings with carved head label stops. Mouldings and window dressings are executed in sandstone. Windows to the west facade and north nave gable rest on a prominent cill course.

The interior quality and survival are of particular note, as is the setting of the building within its landscape context.