Former School Adjacent to St Marks Church of Ireland, Ligoniel Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT14 8DN

Former National School, now Church Hall, Ligoniel Road, Belfast

This small single-storey former national school, built between 1874 and 1875, stands to the north of Ligoniel Road on an elevated site shared with St Mark's Church of Ireland and the Rectory. It was constructed in a simplified Gothic style by local builder John Davidson, whose premises were on Canning Street, and is attributed to William Henry Lynn, chief assistant and later partner of Charles Lanyon. The building is laid out on a cruciform plan set on a north–south axis, with the crossing point positioned towards the southern side.

Historical Background

The school was built to serve the growing population of the Ballysillan and Ligoniel area, which had expanded significantly during the 19th century due to industrial development — including beetling mills, bleach greens, and workers' housing — as well as an influx of labourers following the Irish Famine. The adjacent St Mark's Church of Ireland, with which this building shares its site and its listing group value, was originally built in 1854–56 and is also attributed to Lynn (working under Lanyon), having been extended twice in 1866 and 1885–86 to achieve its current High Victorian character.

The foundation stone of the school was laid on 28th November 1874 by Mrs W. Ewart, whose family operated the local Glenbank Bleachgreen and Mountain Spinning Mill and to whom many of the church's stained glass windows and memorials are dedicated. A bottle containing local newspapers, a selection of coins, and a report of the Select Vestry was placed within the cavity of the foundation stone. The school opened officially on 10th December 1875. A contemporary report described it as having an exterior harmonious with the adjoining church, a beautifully fitted interior, and spaces admirably adapted for school purposes. Following completion, the total rateable value of St Mark's Church of Ireland rose from £45 to £62.

The school received grant aid from the National School System and employed a head teacher (paid £143 per annum), four assistant teachers, and four monitors. Following the partition of Ireland, it continued to be funded by the National School System and administered by St Mark's Church until transfer to the Belfast Education Authority in 1928. It remained in use as a public elementary school until the 1960s. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936–57) the rateable value of the schoolhouse was set at £75.

In 1969 the building ceased to function as a school and was converted into a church hall. The conversion was carried out with the addition of flat-roofed extensions to the north and south sides. The hall was officially opened by Sir Ivan Ewart and dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Connor, the Right Reverend R. C. H. G. Elliott, on 10th May 1969. Following conversion the rateable value of the building rose to £352 under the Second General Revaluation (1956–72). The building continues in use as a church hall.

Exterior

The main body of the building has a pitched and gabled natural slate roof with angled black clay ridge tiles, raised stone verges, and moulded kneelers. At the crossing point of the roof stands a lead-capped timber cupola with a dentilated cornice and pointed arch openings, surmounted by a metal weathervane. Each gable of the cruciform plan, as well as the northern gable of the four-bay block, is crowned by a rectangular-section chimney with a dentilated cornice and two buff clay chimney pots. The later 1960s extensions have flat roofs.

The main walling of the building is generally random-coursed, rock-faced basalt with red sandstone dressings and quoins. The northern extensions use squared and pitched rock-faced reconstituted stone, while the south-western and south-eastern extensions are built in coursed reconstituted stone. Rainwater goods consist of replacement uPVC ogee guttering discharging to a mixture of original circular-section cast iron downpipes and some replacement uPVC; the 1960s extensions retain cast iron downpipes and hoppers.

Extending northward from the south-western arm of the cruciform is a four-bay gabled block with a pitched roof, running parallel with the main body of the building and likely representing an early extension. A larger flat-roofed extension, opened in 1969, abuts the northern end of the main building. Two smaller flat-roofed extensions of similar age are located to the south-west and south-east of the crossing.

The principal elevation faces east and comprises the east face of the cruciform. It features three pointed-arch lancet windows with timber sashes and a recessed square-headed door opening to the south with a timber sheeted door. An attached monopitch main entrance porch has a pointed arch door opening with the original sheeted door. To the north, three recessed bays of the main body of the building have replacement timber casement windows. A flat-roofed extension opened in 1969 is attached to the northern gable. The gable of the cruciform arm carries a chimney and a quatrefoil tablet. To the south-east, a single-storey flat-roofed extension has a square-headed three-part iron casement window.

The southern elevation presents a central projecting double-height gable containing three blocked pointed-arch lancet windows with red sandstone bevelled surrounds and cills, small square-headed louvred openings at ground level, a chimney at the apex, and beneath it the inscription: 'St Mark's National Schools'. This projecting gable is flanked on either side by the flat-roofed extensions. The south-east extension has a square-headed doorway and a single two-part square-headed window; the south-west extension has two square-headed two-part windows.

The western facade is partially obscured by the site boundary. It shows a projecting gable with three original pointed-arch lancet sash windows complete with window horns and a chimney above. The four-bay gabled section extends northward from this projection; a pointed arch doorway is set into the southern gable of this section, housed within a small attached gabled porch.

The northern elevation is largely obscured and abutted by the 1969 flat-roofed extension. Where the original gabled form rises above the flat roof, the original lancet windows have been blocked with clay brick and concrete block.

Interior

The main hall retains its original roof trusses, which are braced timber structures set on moulded stone corbels. Some areas also retain original timber sliding sash windows.

Setting

The site lies to the north of Ligoniel Road and is bounded by random-coursed basalt walling with mature trees and established hedging to the interior. The wall directly to the south of the school building is topped by hooped circular-section iron railings. Access and grounds are shared with St Mark's Church of Ireland and the Rectory.

Significance

Although the later flat-roofed extensions detract from the building's overall character, it retains many original internal and external features, including its cruciform plan, braced timber roof trusses, original lancet sash windows in several locations, rock-faced basalt walling with red sandstone dressings, and the lead-topped cupola with weathervane. The building is a small but well-detailed structure of local historical and social significance, with added group value as part of the St Mark's Church of Ireland complex.