Ballyhalbert Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Ruined remains of a medieval rectangular gabled church at the south end of the village of Ballyhalbert, at the bottom of a cliff face and overlooking the sea. Constructed originally in split stone rubble the walls measure c.17m x c.5.4m.

The east gable still largely intact and has a small arched opening, whilst that to the west is overgrown.

The south wall is partly overgrown but still reaches eaves height. Some gravestones have now been embedded in this wall with other graves within the former interior of the church itself.

The north wall has largely collapsed.

The graveyard is arguably of greater interest than the church itself with headstones dating at least to 1719* with some, now obscured, from the seventeenth century.

Historical information

This church probably dates from the thirteenth century. It was first recorded in the Taxation of Pope Nicholas in 1306 at which time it was called ‘Talbetona’ after the Talbot family who had acquired land in the area in the wake of the Norman Invasion. In 1622 the church was described as ‘repayred’ (i.e. still in use and in reasonable condition), but by the 1680s (at least) it had become derelict and was not commented upon by Montgomery in his 1688 ‘History of the Ards’. In c.1703 the parishes of Ballyhalbert, Ballywalter and Inishargy were united and a new church built at Balligan in 1704. The graveyard at Ballyhalbert, however, remained in use and had its walls rebuilt in 1852 and repaired in 1905.

References- Secondary sources
1 Montgomery’s MSS ‘History of the Ards’ (1688), p. 6-7. [Original MS in the Linenhall Library, Belfast].
2 Walter Harris 'The Ancient and Present State of The County of Down' (Dublin 1744), p. 68.
3 Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), p. 5.
4 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition, 1834, Co. Down 18.
5 'Archaeological Survey of County Down' (Belfast, 1966), p. 299.
6 R.S.J. Clarke (compiler) 'Gravestone Inscriptions Vol.15, County Down, Barony of Ards' (U.H.F. Belfast 1975), p. 1 etc. [*Clarke states that the earliest headstone within the graveyard dates from 1716.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Ruins of a medieval church with graveyard. Little remains of the church, but there are many fine eighteenth century headstones.