Donagahdee (Cof I) parish church, Church Place, Donaghadee, County Down, BT21 0DB

Donaghadee (Church of Ireland) Parish Church, Church Place, Donaghadee, County Down

This is a complex single-storey Gothic cruciform church with an off-centre four-storey tower. It stands on a commanding rise overlooking Donaghadee town centre, surrounded by a now somewhat overcrowded graveyard. The building has a long and layered history: it was originally constructed around 1626, possibly incorporating the remains of a medieval church; the tower was largely rebuilt around 1833; and substantial additions were made to the nave and transepts between 1878 and 1881, carried out in a slightly Hiberno-Gothic manner by architect Timothy Hevey.

Historical Background

The church largely dates from 1626, when Hugh Montgomery, Lord of the Ards, added a new cruciform structure to an existing tower. The tower itself probably belonged to a medieval church, though some have suggested it was part of a medieval stronghold, with the original church located elsewhere. Montgomery's new building was originally thatched. A pictorial map of around 1700 shows it with a spire, though it is unclear whether this reflects the actual structure or is a fanciful representation. A description from 1788 refers to it as "a decent church which, though an old building, is in good repair and erected in the form of a cross, with narrow gothic arched windows. At the west [actually north] end is a square steeple not so high as the church and never seems to have been finished." This suggests either that the 1700 map is fanciful and the tower never had a spire, or that much of the tower was demolished at some point earlier in the 18th century — though there is little evidence to support a demolition theory. The church, squat tower and all, is shown in a drawing of 1817 by Samuel Louis Delacherois.

The tower was restored in 1833, when the then landlord, Daniel Delacherois, adapted a design that had originally been drawn up around 1780 by Dublin architect Thomas Cooley. The church otherwise remained in its 17th-century form until 1878, when substantial additions were made to the nave and chancel and the interior was remodelled to plans by Timothy Hevey. Hevey died shortly after work commenced, and his designs were executed — with slight modifications — by John Henry Fullerton, the Armagh Diocesan architect. A clock was added to the tower in 1890.

The Tower

The four-storey tower is positioned to the left (east side) of the north gabled end of the nave, slightly off-centre in relation to the nave gable — a positioning believed to reflect the difficulties the early 17th-century builders faced with the site. The base of the tower is thought to be medieval.

The main entrance is set centrally in the ground floor of the tower's north face: a pair of timber-sheeted doors with strap hinges, set within a sandstone-dressed semicircular arched opening with a drip moulding and label stops. An inscribed sandstone panel in the tympanum reads: "This church was rebuilt by Hugh, Viscount Montgomery A.D. 1626" — with a note that the stone commemorates a tercentenary service held in 1926. A very small slit window is centred on the first floor of the north face. The south face of the ground and first floors is largely obscured by the north gable of the nave. The east and west faces each have a small central slit window at ground and first floor levels, with a further slit window to the left on the first floor of the east face.

The second and third floors, dating from around 1833, are of reduced dimensions. Each face is treated identically: to each corner is a plain pilaster in the form of a clasping buttress. Each floor of the pilaster contains a blind arrow loop, with a more decorative balistraria (arrow slit with side openings) to the upper section of the second floor. Each pilaster is surmounted by a tall pyramidal finial, with castellated battlements between. To the centre of the third floor is a plain lancet window with deeply incised reveals. Between the third and fourth floors is a white-faced clock — possibly enamel-faced — with Roman numerals, installed in 1890. The fourth floor has a lancet opening, similar to but larger than that below, with louvred infill.

The Nave

To the right of the tower, one half of the north nave gable is exposed, with a centred pointed arch window. The west face of the north end of the nave has a right-of-centre pointed arch window with drip moulding. All nave walls previously described are finished with plain render.

The West Transept

The north face of the west transept has one similar right-of-centre pointed arch window. The west gable of this transept has a centred pointed arch window with in-and-out sandstone dressings. At the base of this gable is a small double door set in a semicircular arched opening, giving access to a crypt that serves as the burial place of the Delacherois family. Inscribed marble plaques to either side of the door, and an inscribed panel set in the tympanum, record the names of those interred. The gable has in-and-out sandstone quoins and is surmounted by a Celtic cross finial, with shallow sandstone parapets. The south face of this transept is blank.

The 1878–81 Additions

The west face of the southern portion of the nave and chancel is largely obscured by the cluster of additions from 1878 to 1881. These comprise a lean-to section presented side-on to the left, a lean-to section facing forward in the centre, and a tall gabled bay to the right. The lean-to sections each have a lancet window with in-and-out sandstone dressings and drip moulding. The gabled bay has a paired lancet surmounted by a quatrefoil set in a circular recess. The whole arrangement has in-and-out sandstone dressings. In contrast to the plain render of the earlier nave walls, this face is finished with squared rubble in blackstone with sandstone banding at sill and eaves level.

The Chancel

The south gabled end of the chancel has a triple lancet window surmounted by a cinquefoil, all with sandstone in-and-out dressings and banding as before. To the left (west) is the side elevation of a small transept, with a shouldered timber-sheeted door set within a pointed arch recess. A decorative inscribed panel records: "Restored 1881. Rev. R.H. Coote A.B. Rector. James Delacherois D.L. William Wright Church Wardens." To the right, the main gable merges with a circular projection in plan, with a conical roof, three lancet windows, and in-and-out sandstone dressings and banding as before. This circular projection also contains a doorway with a timber-sheeted door set in a pointed arch opening, with a decorative carved panel to the tympanum. The circular projection obscures the south face of the small transept. The east face of the chancel mirrors the west face in arrangement, with lean-to projections and a small transept gable, but handed. To the left of this east face is a tall chimneystack.

The East (Main) Transept

The east face of the main transept matches the west face of the west transept. The north and south faces of the main transept are blank.

To the right (north) of the main transept, the east face of the nave is obscured by a projection, the left portion of which is gabled and the right side of which forms a lean-to. Within the gabled section is a semicircular arched door with a small lancet window above; within the lean-to section is a further lancet window. All openings have in-and-out sandstone dressings. A stone chimneystack rises from the ridge of the gabled section. The right side of this projection abuts the south face of the tower.

Roof and External Details

The roof is covered with natural slate. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

Setting and Boundary

The church is surrounded by an extremely crowded graveyard, with headstones dating back to the 17th century. The whole site is bounded by a wall, part rendered and part rubble. At the front is the main gateway, formed by simple rendered piers topped with decorative carriage lamps, with relatively plain wrought iron gates fitted with cast iron spearheads.