Parish Hall, 2 Church Walk, Lurgan, BT67 9AA

Double-height, gable-ended red brick parish hall (for Shankill CoI parish) of 1898-99 by Young & MacKenzie, with taller modern style two / three-storey office / shop addition of 1978, that replaced a building of 1879 through which the hall was originaly entered. SETTING Urban street front location close to Lurgan town centre, on the SE side of Church Walk facing directly on to the street itself with the extension to the SW end at the junction of Church Place. To the NE is a walled yard with a narrow strip of land to the SE side. FRONT (NW) ELEVATION The original section of the hall has a formal arrangement with seven, tall, high-level pointed arch windows with bevelled sandstone sills, plain c.1960s-70s replacement frames and security glazing. Each window is set within a shallow recess formed by plain pilasters which rise from a tall base which is topped with bevelled bricks. Within each recess above the window is a moulded terracotta stringcourse with egg and dart moulding above this, the latter close to the eaves. To the far left is a ground level pointed arch pedestrian doorway with a deeply recessed panelled timber double leaf door. To the far right is the modern extension. This is of no architectural interest; however, it contains the main entrance. (It replaced an original vestibule projection etc. - see historical information.) NW ELEVATION Gabled. A c.1960s modern style upper-level timber-clad extension (supported on steel uprights) is attached to this end of the hall; it is of no interest. At ground level to left (on the main original section) is a doorway that leads into the boiler room. Patching in the brickwork indicates that there were originally several windows and another doorway to this level. SE ELEVATION This elevation is largely a repetition of that to NW, but with a doorway (now with modern door) also occupying one of the recesses to the right, and a c.1960s single-storey (kitchen) extension to the far left, whose presence has also resulted in the blocking up of the window to this end. A metal stair runs against the façade to left, rising over the roof of the extension to give access to a doorway on the upper level of the rear of the 1978 block. ROOF The double pitch roof is covered in natural slate but has a large area of glazing along the ridge. The gable has sandstone kneelers, a parapet (which also appears to be in sandstone), and a brick chimneystack to its apex. C-I RW goods. YARD etc The yard to the NE is enclosed from the street by a tall rendered wall with a vehicle gateway with plain (and original looking) wrought iron gates. There is a cast iron corner protector to the N corner of the hall next to the gateway. To the SE side of the yard is a small dusused, flat-roofed single-storey building, which is of no architectural interest.