Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/13/002

Address :
Maghera old church Carrigs Road Carnacavill Newcastle Co Down

Townland:
Carnacavill

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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:
Partially

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OS Map No:
255/3

IG Ref:
J3721 3413

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Owner Category

Central Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

Ruins of a medieval church, with accompanying graveyard. The ruin is set to the E of the Carrigs Road, with the present (C of I) parish church to the immediate W and the stump of an Early Christian round tower to the NW. The ruin is basically rectangular, measuring c.15m x 7.5m, and rubble constructed. It stands within a roughly circular (rubble) walled enclosure. The W gable and N wall are still standing. The gable has a central pointed arch entrance door (unblocked during conservation work in the 1970s) and the N wall has an, almost central, high level semicircular arched window. The ruin is surrounded by a graveyard which contains at least two pre-Norman cross-carved stones, but is mainly filled with late 18th and 19th century head stones. The stump of the round tower lies at the corner of a field to the NW of the church ruin. It was largely blown down in a storm of c.1714 and now stands at roughly 5.5m tall, with a large hole in the masonry to SE.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This church is believed to date from the 13th century. It was probably built as a replacement for an Early Christian church which may have been located closer to the round tower. The church was in ruins in 1657. In 1825 the present church was built. The round tower was blown down in a storm c.1714, but the masonry was apparently so well bonded that the tower lay on the ground as a hollow cylinder for some time. The church and the round tower are now Historic Monuments in State Care. (SMR DOW 43/85) References- Primary sources 1 Walter Harris, ‘The ancient and present state of the county of Down’ (Dublin 1744) Secondary sources 1 ‘Archaeological survey of Co. Down’ (Belfast HMSO 1966), pp.306-307 2 EHS Records of the first survey of buildings of historical and architectural interest in Tollymore ward (1972-) 3 P.J. Rankin, 'Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the Mourne area of South Down', (Belfast UAHS 1975), pp.44-46 4 ‘Historic monuments of Northern Ireland…’ (Belfast, HMSO, 1983), p.94

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Ruined remains of a church of probable 13th century origin which the stump of an Early Christian round tower close by. The church is surrounded by a graveyard which contains some pre-Norman grave slabs. The church and the round tower are now Historic Monuments in State Care.

General Comments

Date of Survey

18 January 2000