Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/02/016

Address :
Killaresy Church Lower Clay Road Clay Killinchy Co. Down

Townland:
Clay

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
Yes

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
187/9

IG Ref:
J5126 5694

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Owner Category

Local Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

Overgrown remains of a small church of possible late medieval origin, surrounded by a graveyard. The whole grouping is set to the immediate S of the Lower Clay Road, c.3 miles N of Killyleagh. The ruins of the church are rectangular in plan, measuring roughly 25.5m x 7m, but the (mainly low level) remains of the walls are completely covered in greenery and nothing can be seen of them. The surrounding graveyard has head stones of all denominations, the earliest legible stone dating from 1724. To the road side the graveyard is bounded by a high random rubble wall.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

According to the 1966 ‘Archaeological Survey of Co. Down’, this church could be late Medieval in origin. The site is marked as a ‘burial ground’ on the OS map of 1834 and ‘Killaresy Church (in ruins)’ on that of 1859. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI OS/1/3/24 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 24. 2 PRONI OS/6/3/24/2 OS map, 1st rev., 1859, Co. Down 24. Secondary sources 1 ‘Archaeological Survey of Co. Down’ (HMSO Belfast 1966), p.304. 2 R.S.J. Clark ‘Gravestone Inscriptions Co. Down Vol.VII’ (UHF Belfast [?1975]), pp.3-7. 3. SMR DOW 24/6

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Overgrown ruins of a small church of possible late medieval construction. The ruin is surrounded by a small graveyard with the earliest legible head stone dating from 1724.

General Comments

Date of Survey

24 June 1999