Exterior

You are standing outside St Mark’s Church, Dundela, beside the old rectory.

The gospel writer, St Mark, is symbolised in biblical iconography as a Winged Lion – and St Mark’s Church of Ireland at Dundela is known as ‘The Lion on the Hill’.  A well-known east Belfast landmark, its tower is 180 feet high and can be seen from places all over Belfast as well as by ships sailing up Belfast Lough.  St Mark’s Dundela is an active community church and is associated with the world-renowned author CS Lewis (1898-1963).

Built in 1878, this fine new church was at that time surrounded by fields and woodland.  This was the affluent Strandtown area where many of the Ulster-Scots industrialists of the day had their homes – families such as the Heyns, the Pirries and the Ewarts.