Gravel Walk Court

Attached three-bay two-storey gable-fronted former Methodist church, built c.1770, adjoining south elevation of two-bay three-storey former manse, now incorporated into recent apartment development. Pitched slate roof to church, having carved granite cornice forming triangular pediment. M-profile pitched slate roof to manse, rendered chimneystack and terracotta ridge tiles, raised rendered parapet with granite coping. Rendered walls, render quoins, rusticated render to ground floor of church, painted granite plinth course over dressed limestone to basement level, rendered to south elevation. Round-headed recessed render panel to south elevation of manse. Square-headed window openings, render sills, timber sash windows: three-over-three pane to south elevation and second floor of manse, six-over-six pane to front (west) elevation and ground and first floor levels of manse. Square-headed door opening to front, recent timber panelled door, sidelights and tripartite overlight. Recent timber canopy on steel columns over door, rendered steps. Square-headed door opening to south elevation at basement level, recent timber panelled door. Segmental-headed door opening to front of manse, recent door and fanlight. Cast-iron railings on render plinth wall surrounding curtilage of church, cast-iron railings on granite plinth wall surrounding curtilage of manse, matching single-leaf gate.

This former Methodist church was built to serve the congregation of the Royal Barracks. It serves as a reminder of the religious diversity in Dublin during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is plain in terms of design and decoration, as is characteristic of Methodist churches: functionality was the primary objective in their design, as opposed to the creation of an object to be idolised in its own right. The adjacent manse, a later addition, is also devoid of significant decoration, and provides contextual interest to the site.