Clonduff Presbyterian Church, Bannfield Road, Ballynagappoge, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5HG

Clonduff Presbyterian Church

This relatively unaltered mid-19th-century Presbyterian church stands on the north side of Bannfield Road at Ballynagappoge near Rathfriland. The building was erected in 1842 to serve the rapidly expanding congregations from Rathfriland and Ballyronan. The Clonduff congregation was established in early 1840, and following a deputation's meeting with Lord Downshire on 28th March 1840 to secure a site and financial assistance, the new church opened two years later. The building is accompanied by a graveyard to the east and a modern church hall to the west, constructed around 1990 on the site of a former school.

Exterior and Setting

The church is a small structure with a hipped natural slate roof, its ridge aligned north to south, finished with semicircular plastic gutters and a downpipe at the south-west corner. All walls are pebble-dashed with smooth cement basecourse and similarly rendered corners. The front elevation faces south onto the road. Two Gothic-headed doorways, one to left and one to right, form the main entrances. Each contains a pair of stained sheeted timber doors with brass latches. Over each pair is a fixed Y-tracery Gothic-headed transom light with orange and red glazing, set within smooth cement architraves. At the centre of this elevation, in line with the transom heads, is a small stone plaque inscribed "Clonduff / Presbyterian Church / Erected 1842", with a modern light fitting directly below. Above the plaque, to left and right, are small octagonal windows serving the gallery, each with moulded reveal, fine glazing bars and coloured glazing.

The west and east elevations each contain three large Gothic windows. Each window comprises a pair of tall concrete-framed lancets with Y-tracery heads, stained glass insets and concrete cills. The north elevation is identical to the east and west, featuring two similar lancet windows. The north side is abutted at ground floor level, left and right, by small single-storey post-war session rooms which link with the church. These rooms have a hipped natural slate roof aligned west to east and painted smooth rendered walls, with windows of modern stained timber and thin concrete cills. Modern stained timber doors with overlights occupy the west and east elevations of the link block, which itself has a flat felt roof and painted smooth cement rendered walls, with small high-level top-hung windows in each cheek with thin concrete cills.

The front of the church and graveyard are enclosed by a painted rendered and coped wall with a small concave screen forming the entrance. This screen contains a pair of ashlar granite gate piers with pyramidal copings and large antique street lamp lanterns. A pair of cast-iron pedestrian gates with close bars and spear-head finials leads into a concrete-paved area before the church. The grounds contain mature box hedges and small areas of lawn. The churchyard to the east is small, dating from the mid-19th century. Apart from a granite rubble mausoleum in the south-east corner—which has a vaulted segmental head and a west gable plaque stating it was erected by John Watterson to his father Robert, who died in 1852—there are no memorials of particular interest.

Interior Features

The interior retains impressive original timberwork and box pews. Early in the 20th century, oil lamps were donated by Dr Margaret Byres, founder of Victoria College, Belfast; these were later converted to electricity. The choir rail and pulpit were installed at this time. The choir was enlarged in 1942 following the removal of four pews. Before the insertion of two doors to the rear in the early 1960s, the pulpit was accessed through the rear wall by steps from the minister's room. A new organ was installed in 1972.

Historical Development and Alterations

The suite of rooms to the rear was built in the early 1960s, and the new work was dedicated in April 1965. The congregation amalgamated with that at Hilltown on 24th February 1966. The building was re-rendered in 1972. A car park in front of the school was created in 1975. The church hall, which opened on 1st September 1990, occupies the site of the former hall, a building that originally served as a school from 1900 to 1967. It has a concrete tile roof, dashed walls and modern timber windows, with parking areas to its south and west.

The exterior has been affected somewhat by modern refurbishment, though the church itself remains substantially unaltered internally. The building is listed at Grade B2, with listing extent covering the church, gates and piers.