Christ Church (C of I) parochial hall, 10 Station Road, Castledawson, Co Londonderry, BT45 8AZ

Christ Church Parochial Hall

This is a plain, single-storey gabled and rendered building erected in 1838 as a Methodist chapel, now used as a Church of Ireland church hall. It stands on a rise on the east side of Station Road, south of Castledawson Main Street.

The front elevation faces west and is asymmetrical in composition. On the left side is a large segmental-headed archway with simple moulded bands at arch-springing level, leading into an open porch containing a panelled door with a semicircular fanlight featuring gothick tracery. Above and to the right of the porch archway is a painted stone panel inscribed 'Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. Erected 1838'. To the right of the archway are three tall, high-level semicircular-headed window openings with Georgian-paned sash frames (22 panes over 12) featuring gothick tracery to the arch. Stone cills are present. These windows are now covered by security grills.

A small single-storey gabled and rendered projection was added to the north gable around 1980 to house toilets. This addition has a modern window to its north gable and an overhanging roof with artificial tiles. To the immediate right of the projection, on the gable of the original building, is an elliptical arched recess, which was likely originally open and connected to the porch. A small window with a modern frame sits to the left of the projection.

The south gable contains two windows similar to those on the west elevation, though slightly shorter and set at a slightly higher level. The east elevation has a doorway with a plain sheeted door at ground level and a slightly smaller plain sheeted door at upper level to the right.

The building is finished in lined cement render with a slated gabled roof and cast iron rainwater goods (PVC to the projection).

The building was erected as a Methodist chapel in 1838 and remained so until the later 1970s, when it was acquired by the local Church of Ireland parish church (Christ Church) for use as a church hall. Internal changes were carried out around the same time as the north projection was added in approximately 1980. The site was previously believed to have been occupied by a large barracks in use between approximately 1705 and 1780.

The setting includes a small sloping lawn to the front, bounded by a roughcast wall to the west and a rubble wall to the north. A drive runs to the south, while to the rear is a tarmac-covered area enclosed with modern fencing, with a much larger car parking space beyond.