Strangford Presbyterian Church, Downpatrick Road, Strangford, Co Down, BT30 7LZ

Strangford Presbyterian Church

A relatively small, single-storey gabled Presbyterian church built in 1846, situated on a slight rise on the south-east side of Downpatrick Road at the southern edge of Strangford village. The church displays restrained classical detailing to its stuccoed front elevation but is otherwise plain. The rendered fabric is lined apart from decorative elements, and the structure is painted overall.

The symmetrical front elevation faces north-west with a gabled profile. At the centre is the main entrance, consisting of a panelled timber double door with a rectangular fanlight featuring timber tracery that creates three inner panes of differing sizes with margin panes. The doorway is encased with panelled pilasters topped by decorative console brackets supporting a projecting hood-like entablature with pediment above. The small pediment has a central wreath moulding and acroteria at the sides. Directly above the doorway is a recessed rectangular slate panel bearing gold-painted incised lettering reading 'TRINITARIAN CHURCH AD MDCCCXLVI'.

The entire doorway ensemble sits within a bay bounded by largely plain double pilasters rising to the moulded base course of a large gabled pediment which encompasses the full gable area. Just below the base course each pilaster has a slim string course-like moulding. Directly above the base course each pair of pilasters is topped with a plain block surmounted by a cornice and small plain gabled pediment. At both edges of the front elevation stands a further single pilaster with similar detailing but with nothing above the base course. Between the sets of double pilasters and these edge ones are tall semicircular-headed curved recesses similar to statue niches. To the centre of the large gable pediment rises a raised bay with heels and a central recess of similar form but much shorter. Above this bay, extending to the gable apex, is a broad finial (belcote-sized) with raised bands and sloping concave edges, topped with a small obelisk-like pinnacle with panelled shaft reaching to a roughly spherical decorative moulding. A moulded eaves course forms the upper sides of the pediment. The front elevation rests on a short projecting bevelled base.

The north-east and south-west elevations of the main body are identical, each finished in unpainted roughcast with three tall, regularly spaced semicircular-headed timber sash windows featuring Georgian and margin panes typical of late Regency and early Victorian buildings. Stone sills are provided. One pane to the central window on the south-west is broken, with two broken panes to the window to its right.

To the rear gable stands a much lower single-storey gabled projection, likely added circa 1875–1880, serving as a session or minister's room, with a small store-house lean-to attached to its north-east face and also joined to the main church body. This ensemble is finished in unpainted roughcast with plain timber sheeted (tongue-and-groove) doors to the north-east faces of both projection and lean-to. The south-east facing gable of the projection has a centrally placed sash window similar to but much shorter than those of the main elevations. At basement level to the left of this window is a very small timber-sheeted door accessed by a narrow sunken flight of stone steps. Two further windows to the south-west face of the projection have fixed frames (non-sash) and appear recently renewed. Ivy growth covers the south corner of the projection. The exposed upper portion of the rear gable of the main building is unpainted roughcast and devoid of openings.

The gabled roofs of the main section and rear projection are slated with rendered parapets and stone ridge tiles. The lean-to roof is slated. No chimneystacks are visible, though the presence of a fireplace in the projection suggests one should exist. Cast-iron rainwater goods serve the main section; PVC goods serve the lean-to.

The church is surrounded by narrow lawns to the north-east, south-east, and south-west, bounded by hedgerows, with a larger area to the north-west front. A central path leads from the entrance down a comparatively narrow flight of stone steps descending to lower street level. The steps are enclosed by a rubble retaining wall running parallel to the street and are approached via a simple 19th-century-looking wrought-iron gate set between tall rubble-built piers with cut-stone pyramidal caps. Modern tubular handrails are fitted to the steps. A somewhat weathered small cut-stone pillar stands in the front lawn.