Claremont Presbyterian Church, Claremont St, Northland Road, Londonderry

Claremont Presbyterian Church

A detached, symmetrical gabled-fronted single-bay double-height Gothic Revival former church built around 1904 to designs by M.A. Robinson. The building is rectangular on plan, facing east, with a lean-to rear extension and front railed area. It is situated on a slightly elevated site to the west of Northland Road at the junction of Rock Road, within the Magee Conservation Area and opposite the north-west entrance to the university.

The building is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond with ruled-and-lined smooth rendered walling. The pitched roof is natural slate with terracotta ridge-comb tiles, hidden behind parapet walls fitted with valley gutters discharging via cast-iron hoppers and plastic downpipes.

The symmetrical gabled east front elevation is smooth rendered and framed by a pair of tall red brick crenellated clasping piers rising above eaves level. The gable is filled with a large pointed-arched east window featuring a compound moulded surround rising from splayed brick jambs. The window has two red brick mullions with cusped red sandstone tracery windows glazed with stained leaded glazing and storm glazing. It is flanked by large red brick octagonal piers topped by panelled and pinnacled capstones with tapered masonry spires bearing poppy-head finials rising above the gable apex.

The entrance is set within a central gabled breakfront with moulded coping and terracotta floral panels to the spandrel. It has a large pointed-arched opening with an exaggerated series of compound arches rising from splayed red brick walls and polished granite colonettes. A trefoil-headed opening contains a replacement double-leaf glazed door with overlight. The entrance gable is flanked by gableted angle buttresses with trefoil-headed coping, each supporting a square-plan crenellated block in turn supporting flying buttresses. Either side of the entrance are slightly advanced red brick walls with diminutive square-headed window openings having hood mouldings with foliate detail to label stops, continuous nail-head sill mouldings, and red sandstone tracery windows with stained leaded glazing and storm glazing. These sections are topped by rosette panels and diminutive crenellations, framed by trefoil-headed buttresses. The door opens onto a replacement granite paved platform.

A red sandstone date stone below the north window records: 'THIS STONE WAS LAID BY / JOHN COOKE ESQ. D.L. / OF [THIS] CITY / ON 24TH JUNE 1904 / A.D. / JOHN COLHOUN / BUILDER. / M.A. ROBINSON, M.R.I.A.I. / ARCHITECTS'.

The south nave elevation fronts onto Claremont Street and is four bays wide. It features double-height Tudor-arched window openings arranged in pairs (except for a single vestibule window), set within Tudor-arched red brick recesses with hood mouldings bearing foliate detail to label stops and red brick toothed quoins. Continuous nail-head and rosette terracotta string courses run at sill and impost levels. Beyond a clasping pilaster to the right (east) side, the walling is smooth rendered and unpainted.

The gabled west rear elevation is abutted by a full-height lean-to extension with a small area to the south enclosed by decorative iron railings and matching pedestrian gate. The main building has smooth rendered (unpainted) walling with moulded concrete coping to the raised gable, as per the front elevation. The wall extends beyond the coping at the apex with a rendered top. The lean-to extension has ruled-and-lined cement rendered walling. A rectangular extract vent grille is positioned off-centre within the gable above the lean-to abutment. The impost string course from the south elevation is returned to the west and stopped short of a uPVC hopper and downpipe on the right side.

The north nave elevation mirrors the south elevation and is enclosed by a timber fence.

The site is bounded by decorative iron railings on a low brick plinth wall and matching iron gates supported on decorative red brick pillars with moulded gableted concrete capstones. A similar pedestrian gate and railings towards the rear on Claremont Road elevation stand on a cement rendered wall with concrete cap. A recent granite paved platform and steps with universal access ramp and stainless steel handrail have been installed inside the site boundary at the front entrance.