Toomullin Church (in Ruins) — Toomullin

On the N bank of the Aille River in a flat E-W valley in pasture, with steep hillsides to the N and S and also overlooked by higher ground to the E. Indicated and named ‘Toomullin Church (in Ruins)’ on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Perhaps built c. AD 1430 and dedicated to St Brecan (Westropp 1900-1902, 135). This rectangular church (15.25m WNW-ESE; 7.3m NNE-SSW) is constructed of random-coursed mortared limestone with stressed quoinstones and a rubble core. The two gables stand to their original height, as does the N wall. Only the W half of the S wall is well preserved although leaning outward dangerously, while the E half of the wall has almost entirely collapsed (H c. 0.5m), as has the SW corner (H c. 1m). Remains of a string course are visible along the upper exterior of the N wall (H 4m; Wth 0.82m). A line of offset corbels running along the upper inner wall-face may have held up rafter joists, or an attic or balcony. There is a broken doorway (Wth 1.3m; H 3m) roughly midway along the N wall, with part of one jamb remaining. There is a square-headed window (Wth 0.7m; H 1.6m) near the W end of the wall. The E gable (Wth 1.02m; H 6m) contains the upper portion of a single-light ogee-headed loop (int. dims. H 2.13m; Wth 1.11m (dims. from OS Letters 1839 in Comber 1997, 103)) with carved spandrels. The lower part of this window was still intact when visited by Swinfen (1992, 141). The largely overgrown and half-collapsed S wall (Wth 0.98m; H 3.5m; H 1m at ends) features only a blocked-up breach (Wth 1.15m; H 2.05m) where a doorway once stood, more or less opposite that in the N wall. There was a round-headed window (int. dims. H 1.83; Wth 1.14m; ext. dims. H 1.22m; Wth 0.14m) near the E end of the S wall (Comber 1997, 103), but this had collapsed by the time of Swinfen’s (1992, 141) visit. A low plinth runs around the outside of the church from SW clockwise to NE. The W gable (H 6m) has only one round-headed single-light window near the centre. The apex is very overgrown. The church interior is divided into a large overgrown and rubble-strewn nave (int. dims. 9.5m WNW-ESE; 5.5m NNE-SSW) and a smaller western section (int. dims. 5.5m NNE-SSW; 2.95m WNW-ESE). The dividing wall (Wth 0.77m; est. H 6.5m) between these stands to its full height; at its apex the silhouette of a belfry can be seen among the ivy. There are two corbels on the E face of this wall, to support a balcony or upper choir in the nave. Although most writers (e.g., the OS Letters of 1839 (Comber 1997, 103)) suggest that the W section was a later addition—a ‘priest’s room’ (Westropp 1900-1902, 135)—the dividing wall was not keyed into the N and S walls. This suggests that the nave was once larger and the dividing walls inserted, rather than the W chambers being added on. The western section of the church had two floors, with two rectangular chambers on the ground floor (probably for the priest’s use) which is strewn with rubble and some cut-stone fragments. A pointed arched doorway (Wth 1m; H 1.72m over rubble) leads from the nave into the SW chamber. This door has a spudstone hinge on the sill (S corner). Separated from the SW room by a low wall (not keyed in) (Wth 0.58m; H 0.5m) with a narrow doorway in its centre, the NW ground-floor room has an aumbry (H 0.48m; Wth 0.5m; D 0.46m) near the W end of the N wall. The upper level of the western section (perhaps a choir stall) is evinced by a round-headed doorway (est. H 1.5m; Wth 0.6m) near the N end of the wall between the nave and the western section, by a plain square loop (est. H 1m; Wth 0.15-0.25m) over the door between the SW chamber and the nave, and by corbels on the walls. The graveyard (CL008-072002-) adjacent to the church has been levelled, and a holy well (CL008-072003-) formerly stood c. 45m to the ESE. In 1941 a penannular brooch with zoomorphic terminals, as well as a stone ring, a copper coin and two boar tusks were discovered while workmen were digging c. 12m N of the Aille River and SW of the church (Swinfen 1992, 142). The following images have been uploaded: CL008-072001-_01.jpg View of church from NE CL008-072001-_02.jpg View from SSE CL008-072001-_03.jpg View from N CL008-072001-_04.jpg View from SW CL008-072001-_05.jpg W end from SSW CL008-072001-_06.jpg Robbed out door in N wall and doorway to choir CL008-072001-_07.jpg E face of internal wall CL008-072001-_08.jpg E face of internal wall CL008-072001-_09.jpg E gable window from ESE CL008-072001-_10.jpg Interior of E window CL008-072001-_11.jpg Internal doorway from NW CL008-072001-_12.jpg Internal loop and doorway from NW CL008-072001-_13.jpg W window interior Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 17 January 2023