Aghanloo Old Churchyard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Graveyard abutting Aghanloo Road enclosed by a circular basalt wall approximately 1½ metres high. Wall strengthened with concrete facing in field to north. Ground level of graveyard rises approximately one metre from top of wall dropping sharply to the floor of the former church (which aligns with top of the boundary wall). Entrance from Aghanloo Road at southern end via a low strap iron gate and square basalt pillars. Recess in grass banks leads directly to former church. No visible remains of the building can be seen but the plan can be clearly recognised from the regular rectangular recess. This aligns east-west it is 50 feet long by 23 feet 8 inches wide (i.e. 15.2 metres x 7.2 metres).

To the north of the church is the grave of Reverend George V Sampson enclosed in a decorated iron railing and wall.

To the east two yew trees. To the south west a second enclosure containing the graves of the Martin family. There are a number of other grave stones and slabs.

Historical information

Church on this site reputed to have been founded in the 6th century by St Teca (Kill Teca). Suggestion also made that since Aghanloo means Lugh or Louis’ ford St Lugha may have been the patron. Mentioned in Manus 0’Donnell’s life of St Columba (1532) and included as a church in the taxation of 1306. The building is recorded as ‘ruinous and uncovered’ in a survey of 1622 when it was part of the Haberdashers’ Company proportion and entrusted for upkeep to their agent Sir Robert McLelland. Rebuilt, it was destroyed in the rebellion of 1641 and again rebuilt (1693) by forfeiture by order of King William 111. The Reverend George Vaughan Sampson was rector of the church while writing his ‘Statistical Survey of County Londonderry’ in the late 18th century. In 1806 Leslie records that the church was again falling into ruin and that the walls were too bad to repair. In 1812 ‘The old church was taken down by act of vestry’ (OSM). Reverend Sampson performed divine service in the Glebe House (HB02/11/011) until the replacement church was finished in 1825 (HB02/11/010). According to the Ordnance Survey Memoirs: ‘The church was without a steeple…the roof was of Glenwood oak, the couples two feet asunder with boards nailed to the couples on which the slates were added nailed without laths.’ In 1835 the side wall of the church to 8½ feet still remained. The drawing of the Ordnance Survey Memoirs of the churchyard shows a roughly rectangular enclosure on the north and west and not the present curve. Two wells are associated with the site. On the North Mecrins Well and to the south Tobar Tiggy, these were described in 1835. They are now not identifiable, though Tiggy may be the ‘issues’ in part of the farmyard of Rose Cottage (HB02/11/012).

References:
Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol 11 p. .3 & p. 26.
Leslie, Derry Parishes & Clergy
Historic Monuments Records under Ref: LDY5:1.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Important early church site and associated graveyard, it creates a dramatic impression on Aghanloo Road which is forced to curve out of its natural line around the boundary. The raised ground contained by the curving wall reinforces the impression of an historic site. .