Drumballyroney Old Church, Bronte Interpretive Centre, Church Hill, Aughnavallog, Banbridge, County Down, BT32 5LX

A plain freestanding Board of First Fruits church, built c.1780, located on an elevated site on Church Hill Road, north east of Rathfriland. Simple rectangular plan, aligned E-W with tower to west and gabled porch to north. Pitched natural slate roof with stone skews and cast iron rainwater goods on plain corbelled eaves. Roughcast walling with slightly projecting plinth. Stone stringcourse delineating each stage of tower, extended across W gable at eaves level. Triple lancet iron lattice windows, except where otherwise stated, all with projecting granite cills. Tower to west gable which is otherwise blank. Entrance to north side, comprising timber sheeted door set in elliptical headed opening with simple moulded granite surround and timber tympanum, accessed by three modern steps and ramp. Double lancet to south. Second stage has a blank pointed arched recess to south. Belfry stage has a pointed arched louvred lancet with chamfered sandstone reveal to each facet. Granite coping stones and pinnacles. North elevation is blank, abutted by gabled porch to left side. Porch has a replacement herringbone timber sheeted door in cement rendered reveal, surmounted by a blind roundel. Square-headed lattice window to west. East gable is lit by a triple lancet. South elevation is lit by three triple lancets, each inset with a central inward-opening bottom-hung casement. Setting The church is set on an elevated site overlooking the surrounding countryside and the Mournes to south and east. There is a small burial ground to south, bounded by hedgerow and mature trees; dated burial markers from the early eighteenth century, several stones appearing earlier. Immediately to south-east, sharing the site, is the former Drumballyroney School (HB17/03/011B), now restored as part of the Brontë Interpretative Centre. There is a picnic area to east side, with a mosaic plaque depicting a scene from Wuthering Heights, and a tarmac car park bounding the site at east. Bounding the road to north is a roughcast boundary wall, having a wrought iron pedestrian gate to picnic area, and a pair of wrought iron vehicular gates on axis with the tower, each supported on square piers with pyramidal caps. An interpretative plaque is situated within the boundary on a lych frame. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Roughcast Windows: Iron lattice RWG: Cast iron