Archerstown Church in ruins — Archerstown

Situated on a low natural rise in undulating grassland with extensive views in all directions. Archerstown House located 420m to NNE. Archerstown chapel of ease is depicted on 1655-9 Down Survey map of Castletown Delvin parish where it is annotated as 'chappell in repaire also an orchard and some ash trees' (NLI MS 723-4). On this map the small chapel is depicted as a single storey structure with cross on E gable and small bellcote on W gable. The chapel is shown standing in close proximity to Archerstown Castle (WM008-047----). The terrier of the Down Survey parish map recorded that in this townland there was 'a Castle in Archerstowne in repaire with a Bawne an Orchard and some Ash Trees and A Chappell of Ease in Repaire' (ibid.) Only the lower courses of the W wall of the chapel survives with grass covered wall footings of the N, E and S walls visible. A 19th century memorial and cast iron railing of the Monahan family has been built into the internal face of the W wall of the church adjacent to the SW angle. A single light window head has been placed on top of the W wall of church at SW angle. Chapel was better preserved in 1980 in particular the N wall of the building which then possessed an aumbry which is no longer visible as only the lower wall footings of this wall no survive. Building described in 1980 as only the grass covered walls survive of this small single cell chapel (approx. ext. dims. 6.9m N-S; 10m E-W; max. wall H 1.5m; wall T 0.9m) standing in the N quadrant of a sub-rectangular shaped graveyard (WM008-045001-). The N wall has traces of an ope or aumbry in the inner face located off centre to E. The poorly preserved S wall has a possible suggestion of a door opening close to the W end of the S wall. The head of a trefoil window lies on top of the S wall close to the SW angle. The E wall has been completely levelled. The W wall is the best preserved standing to a max. height of 1.5m. 19th century headstones have been inserted against and into the inner face of the W wall. No other architectural features visible. The interior of the church contains graves and post-1700 headstones. Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 20 April 2017