Ballykelly old church/graveyard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The ruins of Walworth Plantation church peacefully crumble at the west end of Plantation road and if Ravens’s map faithfully records the 17th century village layout, it represents the western edge of the village which developed on both sides of the Ballykelly river, though, much later the village re established itself to the east on higher ground.

The ruins consist of stone wallsteads measuring approximately 20 metres by 8 metres to the outside of the walls, set within an enclosing graveyard bounded by a rubble wall 1500mm or so high. The walls are built of whinstone in the main with roughly worked sandstone quoins. There is more sandstone incorporated into the chancel walls and there is a distinct joint between the masonry of these and the nave as if the chancel was a later addition. Raven’s map already shows a chancel. It may have been rebuilt as the church was destroyed in 1641 and again 1689.

Access is gained through a narrow gateway concealed in an overgrown laneway. The long axis of the ruins run east/west and the nave and the chancel are easily discerned with a very positive round headed sandstone and moulded archway 2700mm wide separating the 2 spaces. The long walls are approximately 1800 high while the gables are easily distinguishable with the remains of a window opening at the chancel end and similar in the west end. Whether that in the west end is a door or window is difficult to determine, however Raven’s drawing shows a doorway in the middle of the nave south wall with 2 windows on either side. There are openings shown over the chancel arch and over the opening in the west gable. Again, what these signify is difficult to speculate. The church and chancel may have had a flat ceiling and these openings provided light and access between them.

Built into the south west wall of the chancel is a rectangular sandstone plaque, the inscription being almost totally obliterated except for the date of 1719 in the bottom right hand corner. Right Honourable Lieutenant-General Frederick Hamilton is supposed to have built the chancel or rebuilt it and adorned the church in 1719. This was after the death of his wife Lady Jane Hamilton to whom he erected an elaborate monument which may have been placed in the north wall of the chancel end. When the church was abandoned in 1795 the monument was transferred to the new church (HB02/10/009A).

Historical information

The Manor of Walworth was conveyed to the Fishmongers in 1618 and a George Downing and Mr Higgins shared occupancy of the castle within the bawn. The church appears to date from shortly after this date. From 1628 the Hamilton and the Beresfords were the lessees, though the Civil Survey 1654 - 1656 give Capt Lane and George Downing as lessees. Church restored 1641 and 1689 and renovated 1719. The church ceased its ecclesiastical purpose after 1795. See Monument Scheduled B93/80 and B68/88 (LDY )

References: O S Memoirs of Ireland Vol 25
The Civil Survey A.D. 1654 - 1656
Curl J S The Londonderry Plantation 1609 - 1914
Phillips Sir T Londonderry and the London Companies 1609 - 1629

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

17th and early 18th church ruins with neo-classical detail , graveyard wall, gate piers and gate. A good example of early 17th century plantation church foundation with later rebuild and extensions in the 18th century, surrounded by graveyard and good boundary wall.A a secluded location adjacent to former fortified house and plantation village.