St John's C of I Church, Church Street, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down

St John's Church of Ireland stands on the south side of Church Square in Rathfriland, a mid 18th-century building substantially enlarged and altered in later periods. The church is aligned west to east, facing the end of the square, with an enclosed forecourt and churchyard to the rear.

The main body of the church is rectangular in plan with a pitched natural slate roof topped with granite skews and granite pinnacles at the corners and apex. A green metal dome ventilator sits at the centre of the ridge. Exposed rafter tails and modern metal ogee rainwater goods are present. All walls are lined, rendered and painted with chamfered base courses.

A substantial tower abuts the centre of the front (north) elevation. It comprises three instepped stages separated by exposed granite platbands, with the first stage being tall, the second short, and the third slightly taller (serving as the belfry). The front cheek contains a two-centred headed main entrance, granite dressed with panelled jambs and moulded head, topped with an eared drip mould. Four granite steps lead to a pair of modern sheeted timber doors with a modern leaded fanlight above. A recessed rectangular panel with eared drip mould is set on the wall over the drip mould. The second stage is blank except for a small circular hole, possibly for a clock mechanism. The third stage features a large louvred two-centred Gothic-headed opening with granite cill and granite dressed heads; the louvres are slate slabs. The left (east) and right (west) cheeks of the tower are blank at the first and second stages, while both have large louvred two-centred Gothic-headed openings to the third stage with slate slab louvres, granite cills and granite dressed heads. The rear (south) cheek is abutted by a link to the church at the first stage and is blank at the second stage; the third stage similarly has a louvred two-centred Gothic-headed opening with slate slab louvres. Above is the tower roof with four unpainted granite corner pinnacles, stepped and coped granite parapets, and a granite platband below. A timber flag pole stands at the centre of the roof.

A small link block joins the tower to the main body of the church, with a pitched natural slate roof whose ridge sits below the eaves of the main building. Its walls are rendered as the tower and are blank.

All windows to the church are Gothic-headed lancets in various groupings; those to rear and side elevations have security grilles over them. The front (north) wall is abutted at centre by the link block to the tower. Single window openings to the left and right each contain three narrow lancets with granite reveals, mullions, eared drip moulds and cills, with plain inset spandrels.

The left (east) gable of the nave is abutted by a lower gabled Sanctuary but is otherwise blank. The Sanctuary has a pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge and skew tiles and exposed rafter tails. A half-round metal gutter and downpipe serve the front (north) elevation. Its east-facing gable displays three tall lancets (the central one slightly taller), framed by finely dressed stepped sandstone architrave, chamfered reveal and flush sloping cill (all painted). The left (south) and right (north) cheeks are narrow and blank.

The rear (south) elevation of the nave is abutted to the right by the Transept. The remaining walls are line rendered with chamfered base courses. Two rectangular window openings, each with three timber lancets as those to the façade, serve this elevation, both with painted granite cills. The left (west) corner is abutted by a small modern flat-roofed boiler house accessed by three steps down to the door. A slender rendered chimney rises up the gable of the main building.

The Transept has a pitched natural slate roof with skews to the gable. Its south gable window has been sheeted over in galvanised metal. Single narrow lancet openings with sloping cills appear on both the left (west) and right (east) cheeks.

The right gable of the main church is abutted by a lower return (Vestry); the remaining wall is blank. The Vestry has a pitched natural slate roof with granite pinnacles and skews to the gable, as the main block. Its gable contains a 2/2 sash window to the first floor, and its right (south) cheek has an identical window also to first floor. Its left (north) cheek (and part of gable) is abutted by a later extension whose pitched natural slate roof cat-slides from the front pitch of the vestry roof. The rear (south) wall of this extension contains a steel casement window (toilet). Its right (west) cheek is blank. Its front (north) wall has two flat-headed window openings, each with a pair of narrow timber-framed lancets with stained glazing, stucco eared drip mould and painted cills. Its left (east) cheek has a tongued and grooved stained timber door accessed by three steps up with a modern timber handrail.

The forecourt is small and enclosed by a rendered dwarf wall with overhanging copings to the front, supporting spear-headed wrought iron railings to the left of modern wrought metal gates. Modern railings stand to the right of the gates. The rear churchyard is small and enclosed to the rear by a rubble stone wall. Two grave plots are present: one to the Fegan family with a raised plot and early 19th-century slate slab, and a 20th-century memorial to Reverend Harte.