Methodist Church, Downshire Road, Banbridge, Co Down, BT32 3JY

A gabled rubble stone Methodist Church in Gothic-Revival style; built c.1870 and located to the north side of Downshire Road in Banbridge town centre. Rectangular on plan with modern single-storey extensions to rear and southeast. Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles; raised stone verges and large stone finial to gable apex; battlements to stair-bays. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on eaves brackets. Walling is random squared rubble stone built to courses on a chamfered plinth with sandstone dressings and buttresses having masonry offsets and rising to pinnacles; raked frieze with floriate motif. Windows are pointed-headed lattice leaded glass casements with coloured glass margins in sandstone blocked surrounds having chamfered sills and head moulds. Gothic mullioned window with cusped arch-heads and central rose to gable of southwest elevation. The principal elevation faces southwest and is dominated by a central entrance bay having pointed arched entrance opening surmounted by feature window; flanked by narrower stair bays, all framed by buttresses. Stair bays have crenellated parapets and window to each floor. Entrance has sandstone surround with moulded archivolt and is flanked by columns with decorative capitals. Double-leaf diagonally timber-sheeted door with ornate cast-iron strap hinges is accessed via four stone steps and surmounted by leaded-and-stained glass transom light. The northwest elevation is five windows wide divided by buttresses. Extreme left bay has a window and timber-sheeted side door with transom light in a Gothic chamfered reveal; timber sheeted door also to basement. To far right is the stair-bay, with raised parapet and pinnacles, containing a window. The northeast (rear) elevation has two windows to gable and two square-headed modern windows to right at ground floor. Abutted at right by the single-storey modern link-block. The southeast elevation is divided by buttresses into five bays, each with a window. To right is the single-storey flat-roof modern extension; to left is the stair-bay, as before. Setting Situated on the north side of Downshire Road in Banbridge town centre and flanked by the Edwardian Old Technical School (HB17/06/020) at right and the classically-styled mid-nineteenth century Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church (HB17/06/003) at left. Set back from the road and paved to front with tarmacadam car-park to west. Bounded by rubble stone boundary wall with sandstone coping stones topped by original cast-iron railings having fleur-de-lis heads. Terminated by square stone piers with pointed caps; original cast-iron gates on polygonal cast-iron piers to centre. To rear is a modern two-storey rendered church hall of no interest. Roof: Natural slate Walling: stone Windows: leaded RWG: Cast-iron