Spa Presbyterian Church, 70 Spa Road, The Spa, Ballymaglave South, Ballynahinch, Co Down, BT24 8PT

Spa Presbyterian Church

A relatively simple two-storey gothic style Presbyterian church built in 1872, constructed in rock face squared rubble blocks with beige sandstone dressings. The building occupies a wedge of ground between the converging southern ends of Spa Road and Ballymaglave Road at the centre of the small hamlet of The Spa, approximately two miles south of Ballynahinch.

The south-west front elevation is symmetrical. A centred timber panelled front door is set within a stone-dressed gothic arched opening topped with a trefoil-like fanlight finished with leaded panes. Above the door is a large decorative dripstone moulding formed as a tall gable with crocket motifs. Three stone steps with wrought iron handrails set at 45 degrees rise to the door. Either side of the door are paired lancet windows with lattice leaded panes; the central mullion of each pair is a short circular column pilaster with base and capital. Directly above the door is a large arch-headed recess containing four lancet windows with semicircular heads and cusps. To the centre of the tympanum panel is a decorative feature with carved overlapping letters (possibly O.R.) surrounded by the inscription "A.D. 1872", with what appear to be oak leaf motifs to either side. The keystone topping the recessed arch is carved with a floral base and triangular cap. The main gable is surmounted by a gabled stone bellcote feature with double gothic arched lancet openings. The bells have been removed.

The north-west façade features a gothic arch-headed sheeted timber door with wrought iron strap hinges set within stone dressing with carved head features at the springing points of the arches. To the left is a single gothic arch-headed window with leaded lattice panes and stone dressings. Further left is a pair of similar windows, and to the left again is a pair of taller similar windows centred on a projecting gable feature that projects approximately 200 millimetres and has a trefoil feature near the apex. To the far left is a single arch-headed window. The windows either side of the bay sit on a stone cill course with a second string course positioned just below the springing point of the arches. All corners, including those to the projecting bay, have in and out dressings. The south-east façade is a mirror version of the north-west elevation.

Centred on the north-east rear gable is a symmetrical three-bay lean-to hipped roof extension of approximately 1935 constructed in blue engineering brick. This extension has a Domestic Revival or Arts and Crafts character, featuring an overhanging roof with exposed rafter ends and mullioned lattice windows. A projecting bay at the centre sits slightly higher than the flanking bays and contains four mullioned windows with lattice panes and red brick dressings. Either side of the central bay is a smaller hipped roof section with two mullioned windows detailed similarly. To the left side of the bay roof is a tall chimney stack, and steps lead down to a basement housing the boiler. The main north-east gable beyond the extension is blank.

The roof is covered in natural slate with two contrasting green slate bands, possibly Westmoreland slate. The bellcote is formed in sandstone. The grounds are enclosed on three sides with wrought iron railings, and double gates on the south-west side are supported on decorative prefabricated cast iron gate posts. The church manse sits immediately to the north-east, facing onto Spa Road.

The extension does not appear in the Ordnance Survey map of 1931, though that map shows what may be an earlier projection. Based on its architectural style, it was likely added soon after 1931.