First Presbyterian Church, 32 Hillhead, Stewartstown, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, BT71 5HY

First Presbyterian Church, 32 Hillhead, Stewartstown

This is a detached early 19th century Presbyterian church consisting of a long rectangular nave with a single-storey minister's room to the rear on the east side. The building is located on the east side of Hillhead Road, south of the commercial area of Parkers Farm.

The front west elevation is gable-ended and faces onto Hillhead Road. It is constructed of cut stone with three bays in width, divided by four buttresses. The elevation features a long lancet pointed-arched window to the left, a pointed-arched doorway to the centre, and a long lancet pointed-arched window to the right. Above the doorway is a large double pointed-arched lancet window with Y-tracery. All windows have carved stone drip mouldings with cut-stone label stops. The doorway is pointed-arched with matching drip moulding and is accessed by four cut-stone steps. The paired timber doors are diagonal timber sheeted. Protective external uPVC window frames have been added to the windows on the front façade.

The buttresses on the front elevation comprise two three-stage reducing angle buttresses to the exterior, each surmounted by a carved stone finial (replacements), and two hexagonal projecting tower-like buttresses or shafts flanking the door. The finials to the centre buttresses have been removed and not replaced.

The front elevation is constructed of squared stone rubble in regular courses with dressed stone to the openings and other details. The front gable is of cut stone. The side and rear walls are harled render.

The north and south side elevations are five bays in width, divided at each bay by two-stage buttresses. Windows are long pointed-arched lancet timber set on cut-stone sills. Most window openings have external protective uPVC frames.

The rear east elevation is gable-ended with two pointed-arched lancet windows set on cut-stone sills, which retain original timber. A simple rendered chimney rises to the apex of the gable. This elevation is partially obscured by the single-storey vestry return.

Walls rest on a projecting cut-stone plinth. The roof is pitched with fibre cement slate. Rainwater goods are replacement extruded aluminium.

The single-storey vestry is located to the centre of the rear elevation with an open porch with pitched roof over to the east. A square-headed timber panelled door is set within the porch, with a square-headed replacement uPVC window to the rear. The vestry roof is pitched with natural slate.

The setting includes four cut-stone piers leading to the main entrance door, with a recently constructed ramp at the front entrance. The front boundary features stone piers and original cast iron railings between. An access road to the south of the church leads to the Manse, which is located to the rear and faces over green fields with a small lake approximately 200 metres to the east.