Survey Data
Reg No
21901339
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Social
Previous Name
Knockea Catholic Church
Original Use
Church/chapel
In Use As
Church/chapel
Date
1822 - 1822
Coordinates
161268, 150715
Date Recorded
04/11/2007
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding cruciform-plan Roman Catholic church, built in 1822, comprising two-bay nave elevations with single-bay transepts and two-bay sacristy addition and single-bay porch extension to north. Pitched replacement slate roof with render eaves course, kneelers to eaves course at gables. Openwork bellcote with semi-circular arch opening with cast-iron cross mounted over. Rendered walls with render plinth course and platband to west elevation. Painted brick walls with render plinth course to porch extension. Pointed arch window openings, some with peck-dressed limestone surrounds and painted stone sills. Stained glass windows throughout. Square-headed window openings and pointed arch window openings to sacristy with uPVC windows and concrete sills. Pointed arch window opening with render sills and stained glass window to porch. Elliptical-headed door opening with peck-dressed limestone block-and-start surround having rendered overlight and replacement door. Rectangular holy-water font recess with D-shaped plan tooled limestone holy water font. Square-headed door opening to sacristy with aluminium and glass door. Recent interior features such as timber altar, stations of the cross and bench pews to interior. Tooled limestone chest tomb and free-standing crucifix statuary to west. Commemorative plaque to east. Coursed limestone rubble low boundary wall to site, terminating in square-profile piers with recent aluminium gates and traffic barriers.
Appraisal
This church, established in 1822, remains an important place of worship for the large local congregation. The simple, unostentatious architecture is typical of churches of this date, reflecting a time Catholicism was under strain as a community religion and church building was funded by donations from a small group of local people. The building's simple architecture belies its key position socially, as place of ritual and social gathering place. Date plaques read: 'Cnoc Cae A.D. 1822 Knockea' and 'Knockea Church Jubilee A.D. 2000'.