Survey Data
Reg No
30803005
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Social, Technical
Previous Name
Saint Mary's Catholic Church
Original Use
Church/chapel
In Use As
Church/chapel
Date
1830 - 1835
Coordinates
192721, 347799
Date Recorded
17/07/2003
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached single-cell Roman Catholic church, built in 1831 by Rev. Francis Maguire, with gabled sacristy and entrance porch added. Three-bays to nave. Pitched tiled roof with stone cross finials at gables. Roughcast render to walls with plinth and quoins. Pointed-arched openings with tooled sandstone surrounds. Replacement timber battened door with stained glass overlight. Stained glass windows with sandstone sills. Rose window to south elevation with hood moulding. Original entrance to south end with replacement timber battened door. Replacement door to porch. Interior with organ gallery to north end and altar to south. Square-ended chancel with exposed stone walls and open timber scissors roof trusses. Freestanding rendered bellcote with tiled pyramidal roof to north-west. Site accessed via stone clapper bridge with V-cutwaters.
Appraisal
St. Aidan's Church, situated in Ballaghameehan, on the road leading from Rossinver, is a modest ecclesiastical structure. Its simplicity of design with subtle decorative detailing, including coloured sandstone window, door surrounds and a rose window, add an artistic element to the structure. Internally the church, with its variety of materials, is enriched by colour streaming through the stained glass windows. Altar unusally sited, in south end of building. St. Aidan's is reached by a sandstone clapper bridge crossing a small stream. This rare bridge type, based on post-and-lintel construction, adds to the character of the site.