Church (In Ruins)

Site was visited and recorded in 1980 when it was described as 'The SE of the 2 ruins shown on the 1914 OS 6-inch map is a small rectangular stone built structure (int. dims. 5m N-S; 7.75m E-W) with its long axis lying E-W. The walls are built of rough undressed limestone laid in fairly regular courses & bonded with mortar. The walls are overgrown with ivy & rather difficult to examine. There is a doorway in the S wall just W of its midpoint, this has a pointed, pseudo-arch head & now has a relatively modern iron gate. There are the remains of a window ope in the E wall, only the S jamb remains & this has an internal splay. There is what appears to be a blocked up window ope in the N wall near the E end. The floor of the structure is quite uneven with some stones lying about. There is a trapezoidal slab lying beside the N wall. The exposed surface of this is quite plain except for a lozenge shaped depression near one side. This structure, probably a late medieval chapel appears to have been built against the e end of an earlier church (WM018-102002-), the W wall is very thick and on the inside appears to consist of two walls, the inner & later built up against the other. There is a small niche in the S wall near the SE corner and another opposite in the N wall. The remains of the earlier church (WM018-102002-) to the W are very obscured by graves and overgrowth and it is impossible now to recover its plan. A steep slope along its possible N wall (indefinite) is probably due to later interference connected with the use of the graveyard (WM018-102001-). Located on a small natural ridge in undulating pasture land 210m SSE of Rathconrath Motte (WM108-093----)' (ASI file). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 November 2009