Slanes Church, Ardminnan Road, Slanes, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT22 1Q [?J]

The ruins of a medieval church, now grass-covered, stand within a small graveyard at Slanes, near Newtownards, County Down. The church, originally known as the church of Ardmacosse, dates from before 1600. It is situated on a gentle slope south of the village of Cloghy. Very little of the original structure remains; visible portions consist of random rubble from the east and west walls, generally standing less than a metre in height. The church’s rectangular footprint measures approximately 16.5 metres by 6.75 metres. The adjacent graveyard contains headstones with dates ranging from 1677 to the early twentieth century. A low rubble wall encloses the entire site. The parish adopted the name "Slanes" during the 1500s; its earlier name was Ardmacosse, as recorded in papal taxation records of 1306. Records last mention the church in the mid-sixteenth century, indicating abandonment during the 1600s. According to Walter Harris, writing around 1744, a souterrain (underground passage) is located west of the graveyard.