Chapel (ruin) — Shantallow

Located in a garden field bordered at W by a vernacular cottage, now renovated and extended, with associated two-storey stone-built granary, farm buildings and walled yard. An E-W road lies immediately to S. ‘Chapel (Ruin)’ is indicated on the 1838 OS 6-inch map and ‘Chapel (in Ruins)’ on the 1930 edition. Both map editions depict a cluster of buildings here, including a number of E-W rectangular buildings and a L-shaped building, with a main E-W part and an extension to N at the E end. It is not obvious on the maps which of these building is the church. Remains of a stone-built building, probably L-shaped in plan, are incorporated into the SE angle of the garden, bordered on its S side by a road, with an intervening grass verge. According to local information, this is the chapel. The S wall (L c. 13-14m E−W; H 1.46m) is intact, retaining its external facing of well-cut, mortared limestone blocks, largely obscured by ivy at the W end. The upper two courses, consisting of loose roughly placed stones, were rebuilt in the second half of the 20th century during a Fás restoration scheme. There is a doorway (Wth 1.1m) mid-way along the S wall. The doorway is blocked up with stones, with some concrete blocks forming the upper courses (again the Fás scheme). The interior wall face is rougher in appearance. It contains a semi-circular recess (H 0.28m; Wth 0.65m; D 0.5m) 1.2m E of the doorway, at a height of c. 0.8m above ground level. The head of the recess is formed by an arch of two stones. The base is roughly filled with stones. A short return (L 2.45m) to N at the W end of the S wall is all that remains of the W wall. It terminates at a clean break suggesting there was a door or window here. Punch-dressed quoin stones can be seen at the SE angle of the building. The E wall (max. H 2.5m) extends to N for 6.65m from SE angle; it now serves as a field boundary. It ends at a doorway (Wth 0.92; H 1.7m) with a flat arch of voussoirs. The S jamb is relatively narrow consisting of mostly square blocks and vertically-set stones. In contrast, the N jamb is wider, consisting of large horizontally laid blocks interspersed with courses of smaller stones. This doorway it is now roughly blocked up with stones. Immediately N of the doorway, a wall (T 0.7m) continues for 9.8m to N with a hint of a return to W at its N end. One stone of this wall appears to be keyed into the N side of the doorway. However, this wall exhibiting a much rougher construction technique and clearly differs from the S portion of the E wall. It too now serves as a field boundary, but the hint of a return to W suggests that it may represent a later extension, giving the building an L-shaped plan. This appears to be the L-shaped building shown on the 1838 OS 6-inch map. The remains are difficult to interpret, and are of uncertain date. They may date to 18th or early 19th century. There is now no trace of the E-W rectangular buildings shown to E of this one on the OS 6-inch maps. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 24 February 2023