St. Judes Parish Church of Ireland Hall, 340 Ravenhill Road, Belfast, County Antrim, BT7 2GE

A symmetrical-fronted red-brick Parish Hall built c.1935 to designs by R.H. Gibson in a blend of the Lombardic and Art-Deco styles; located to the west side of Ravenhill Road between St Jude’s Crescent and St Jude’s Avenue. T-shaped plan comprising two-storey central block with lower side blocks; entrance bay abutted by slightly projecting porch to front and single-storey projecting blocks to north and south. Projecting porch is a later addition (c.1940) also to designs by Gibson. Pantiled pitched roof with raised gables and overhanging timber-sheeted eaves on exposed rafter ends; tall red-brick chimneystacks with gabled pantiled tops. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods with cast-iron hopper and downpipes. Walling is stretcher-bonded red-brick with header-course to sill level at ground floor. Small metal-framed windows to ground floor; round-headed slender multi-paned paired windows to first floor (unless otherwise stated), brick reveals and voussoirs and tiled sills. The principal elevation faces east, dominated by a central round-headed casement window to entrance bay in decorative tiled triple recess on corbelled brick apron having central diamond motif in brick. Ground floor has slightly projecting porch comprising original double-leaf Art-Deco-style panelled timber door, in masonry panelled recess with brick surround. Porch is accessed via a set of three masonry steps with modern metal handrails. The south elevation has slightly projecting bay at left, with two windows to attic level, two to first floor and two square-headed windows to ground floor. Right bay is four sets of paired windows wide; ground floor has two blind windows at left. To far right is the single-storey projecting block with paired windows and decorative wrought-iron Art-Deco grilles to east and south elevation. The rear (west) gable has central breakfront; oculus to gable and two sets of paired windows to each floor, including attic level. To either side are slender double-height blind openings; square-headed windows beneath to ground floor (that to right is blind). The north elevation mirrors the south elevation; also having projecting porch to right at ground floor, abutting exposed section of projecting bay. Porch contains original Art-Deco style timber-panelled door in masonry panelled recess (as at main entrance), accessed by four modern masonry steps with modern metal handrail (incorporating disabled ramp access at right). Setting: Prominently situated in a mainly residential area, surrounded by semi-detached and terrace housing dating mainly from the early part of the twentieth-century, facing the grounds of St Joseph’s College. Set back from the street with a small lawned area and paved pathway to front, enclosed to all sides by hedgerow. To front and north are original wrought-iron gates with Art-Deco motifs. Roof: Pantiled Walling: Stretcher-bonded red-brick Windows: Variety of timber-framed casements RWG: Cast-iron