Former Manse, First Presbyterian Church, 43 Abbey Street, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, BT52 1EX

Former Manse, First Presbyterian Church

A symmetrical two-storey, three-bay detached former manse, erected around 1858 to the designs of contractor Samuel Kirkpatrick. The building is located on the south-western side of Abbey Street in Coleraine, in close proximity to Coleraine First Presbyterian Church, and now functions as a youth centre.

The building is T-shaped on plan with a full-height gabled return to the east and modern mono-pitched, single-storey abutments to the re-entrant angles. The roof is hipped and re-slated with terracotta ridge-tiles and modern skylights. Replacement metal ogee rainwater goods are fitted to the overhanging eaves; some decorative cast-iron brackets remain to the square downpipes.

The walling is painted ruled-and-lined rendered finish over a projecting base course, with rendered and painted dressings. Window openings generally have projecting cills and moulded architraves. Most windows are replacement 2/2 horned timber sashes, although some openings contain modern timber casements.

The principal elevation faces west, with three openings vertically aligned about a central doorcase. The doorcase contains a replacement timber and glazed timber door flanked by painted, fluted Ionic columns supporting a cornice and plain frieze, with modern plastic lettering affixed. Single-storey flat-roof canted bay windows flank either side of the doorcase, embellished with moulded eaves, continuous cills and projecting keystones. The north elevation is symmetrical with two windows on each level. The east elevation is largely blank except for a plain window opening to the upper left. The gabled two-storey return to the east contains two plain window openings of irregular sizes to the upper centre, over a pair of modern timber casements, with similar sash windows over casements to the right cheek. A small mono-pitched abutment to the left contains a painted timber door. A diminutive casement to the upper left cheek is positioned over a mono-pitched abutment to the re-entrant angle containing a pair of modern plain timber doors. The south elevation is asymmetrical with three windows arranged about a canted bay window to the left side of the ground floor, matching those of the principal elevation, with a diminutive casement to the far right side of the main elevation.

The manse was valued at £20 in Griffith's Valuation (1856-64) and remained in use as the home of ministers of the Abbey Street church until the 1930s, with improvements adding £10 to the valuation by 1924. In 1939 the building was taken over as a free library but was repurchased by the congregation in 1960 and converted into a youth centre. A comprehensive renovation scheme costing £140,000 was carried out in 1995.

The building is situated in an urban setting on the eastern banks of the River Bann, a short distance south of The Diamond, Coleraine. It forms part of the complex associated with Coleraine First Presbyterian Church, located in close proximity to the immediate west. The northern elevation directly fronts onto Abbey Street, with bitumen car parking areas to the west and south. Main access is via the western forecourt, which also serves the church. The north-west corner is abutted by the dwarf wall and decorative historic cast-iron railings of the church. The south-west corner is connected to the east elevation of the church by a painted and rendered screen wall pierced by a round-arched opening.

While the layout and fabric have been substantially altered in recent decades, the external appearance has been retained. The building constitutes an important setting feature of the church and signifies the historical development of the site, the two buildings sharing group value.