St. Patricks R C Church, Gargarry Road, Castlewellan, Banbridge, Co Down, BT31 9RN

A double-height Gothic-style Roman Catholic church built c.1855 to the designs of William Barre. Rectangular nave with chancel and side altars. Located on the south side of Gargarry Road, east of the parochial house approximately ½ a mile east of the junction with Castlewellan Road. Pitched natural slate roof with crested ridge tiles; cast-iron rainwater goods fixed to corbelled eaves supported on masonry brackets; lead covered coping throughout. Rubble masonry walling with granite ashlar dress stone. Stained-glass/leaded windows set into pointed-arched openings with chamfered long-and-short surrounds. Replacement timber sheeted door with fixed light over set into pointed-arched opening with chamfered long-and-short surrounds. The principal elevation faces west and is symmetrically arranged. Centrally positioned gabled single-storey porch surmounted with an apex cross. Porch flanked by two windows. Above the porch, the gable is dominated by two buttresses rising to form a pointed arch embracing a gallery window and rising to a large gabled bell cote with bell. Two-stage lateral buttresses to either side of the gable. The left elevation is asymmetrical; four bays wide separated by two-stage buttress. The far right buttress is double width. The two bays at right both comprise two uniformly arranged windows. The bay left of centre comprises two windows with raised cill level to incorporate a small lean-to abutment below. The far left bay comprises a full width gable-ended projected baptistery; large timber framed Y-tracery window with stained glass centrally positioned on the gable; square-headed window to the right and left cheeks. The rear gable is asymmetrically arranged; centrally abutted by the gabled chancel comprising a large window with intersecting masonry tracery; masonry finial; the right and left cheeks have single windows. Right of the chancel is a single window. The left window is significantly reduced in size to incorporate a lean-to abutment comprising a small window to the west face and a door with a corbelled lintel to the south. The right elevation is asymmetrically arranged matching the left elevation with exception to the far right bay whereby the projection incorporates a masonry chimney surmounted by gabletted cap and a further single-storey lean-to abutment to the left cheek (door to the east face). Setting Rural setting on an elevated site with panoramic views over the landscape. The east of the site is bounded by a masonry wall; the south by wrought-iron railings with decorative castings; matching gates supported on cast-iron piers. Sweeping driveway leading to a car park to the rear; burial grounds addressing the front. The parochial house to the west; two-storey three-bay; replacement casement windows and twentieth century porch; pitched slate roof and long-and-short quoins; of no significant interest. Roofing: Natural slate Walling: stone Windows: Stained/leaded glass RWG: Cast-iron