St. Nicholas Church — Mayne

Early 19th century C. of I. church dedicated to St. Nicholas which is no longer in use standing in N quadrant of graveyard (WM003-083002-). This church may have been built on the site of or incorporated fabric from a medieval church recorded in 1837 as located ‘on the lands of Mayne stand the ruins of the ancient church’ (Lewis 1837, 349). The precise location of this ancient church ruins have not been identified. It was recorded that ‘a religious establishment is said to have been founded here by St. Fechan of Fore’ (ibid., 348). Medieval church depicted on 17th century Down Survey map of Fore Parish. The hollowed spandrel of a limestone ogee-headed window belonging to the medieval church has been built into the E face of the W boundary wall of the graveyard. A cut stone mullion with diamond-shaped bar holes from a window belonging to the medieval church has been inserted into the W quadrant of graveyard to the SW of the C of I church where it may have been used as a gravemarker. Other cut stone fragments from the medieval church may have been built into the boundary wall of the graveyard or may have been used to mark graves elsewhere in the graveyard. Church of Ireland building described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as following: ‘Freestanding Church of Ireland church, built c.1806, comprising two-bay hall with attached three-stage tower on square-plan to the west with crenellated parapet and corner pinnacles. Shallow sanctuary/chancel to east gable and single-storey vestry to northeast corner. Pitched natural slate roofs with raised limestone verges to nave and cast-iron rainwater goods. Cement rendered walls to hall over projecting stone plinth. Tower constructed of rubble limestone with ashlar limestone detailing, including projecting string courses and an ashlar parapet and ashlar pinnacles with ball finials over. Pointed-arched windows to nave and to chancel with timber Y-tracery, leaded windows and cut-stone sills. Pointed-arched doorcase to south face of tower with chamfered limestone surround, battened timber door, overlight with Gothic tracery and a tooled limestone hoodmoulding over with 'heart-shaped' stops’ (www.buildingsofireland.ie). The Topographical Dictionary of Ireland described the present church as a ‘neat building in excellent repair, erected in 1806, by aid of a gift of £500 from the Board of First Fruits’ (Lewis 1837, 348). A late medieval font (WM003-083001-) located inside the church was not accessible at time of visit. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 15 June 2015