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St Mark's Church, Dundela

Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland

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1354654724 · 2026-05-17T16:42:40Z
Key vocabulary

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Church13 uses in this article rectory5 uses in this article ringing4 uses in this article parish4 uses in this article bells4 uses in this article Lewis4 uses in this article tenor3 uses in this article built2 uses in this article tower2 uses in this article hundredweight1 uses in this article commissioned1 uses in this article installation1 uses in this article grandfather1 uses in this article restoration1 uses in this article character1 uses in this article installed1 uses in this article popularly1 uses in this article providing1 uses in this article structure1 uses in this article baptised1 uses in this article

Overview

St Mark's Church, Dundela, is a Grade A listed parish church of the Church of Ireland located in the Sydenham area of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

History

For much of its history, the parish of Dundela was located within the neighbouring parish of Holywood, County Down. In the mid-19th century, due to the constant growth of Belfast and the local area, the Church of Ireland began holding services in a coach-house, and in 1863, in what is now Strandtown Primary School. The church underwent a large restoration in 1976, led by Stephen Dykes Bower. The rectory, to the south of the church, was built in 1887.

Bells

The bell tower contains a peal of ten bells, hung for change ringing. When the church was built, it was intended for there to be a ring of bells in the tower, and an eight-bell frame was provided, however only the treble and tenor were bought, due to the severe movement of the structure when these bells were rung. In the 1950s, a legacy was found providing for the installation of a ring, and the church commissioned John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, England, for a ring of ten bells.

C. S. Lewis

The church is best known in popular culture for its connection to C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), whose grandfather, Thomas Hamilton, was the first rector of the parish. Lewis was baptised in the church by him on 29 January 1899 as an infant. It is popularly believed that the character Aslan, from The Chronicles of Narnia, was based on the door handle of a lion (the Lion of Saint Mark) on the front door of the rectory. A replica is now installed in its place. Lewis and his brother Warren (1895–1973) donated a window to the church in memory of their parents in 1935. The glass artist was Michael Healy.

Gallery

File:St Mark's Dundela.jpg File:St Mark's Rectory, Dundela.jpg The now-disused rectory File:Rectory Doorknob, St Mark's Dundela.jpg The door knocker thought to have inspired C. S. Lewis File:St Mark's Tenor Bell.jpg The tenor bell, weighing 12-2-2 hundredweight and tuned to F# File:St Mark's Dundela, view from ringing room.jpg File:Dundela Church.jpg File:St Mark's Ringing Room.jpg Ringing room of the church

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