Ballyhalbert Church, Harbour Road, Ballyhalbert, Newtownards, Co Down, BT22 1B?

The ruins of a medieval church stand within a surrounding graveyard in the village of Ballyhalbert, County Down, overlooking the sea at the base of a cliff. Originally constructed around the 13th century, the church was first mentioned in records from 1306 as “Talbetona,” referring to the Talbot family who held land in the area following the Norman invasion. The church was described as being in reasonable condition and in use in 1622, but by the 1680s it had fallen into disrepair. In about 1703, the parishes of Ballyhalbert, Ballywalter, and Inishargy were united and a new church was built at Balligan in 1704. The graveyard at Ballyhalbert continued to be used and its walls were rebuilt in 1852 and repaired in 1905.

The surviving remains consist of a rectangular gabled church constructed from split stone rubble, measuring approximately 17 metres by 5.4 metres. The east gable remains largely intact and contains a small arched opening, while the west gable is overgrown. The south wall is also partly overgrown but still rises to eaves level, incorporating some gravestones. The north wall has largely collapsed. The graveyard is of particular interest, containing headstones dating back to at least 1719, although some are obscured and possibly relate to the 17th century. Clarke’s research indicates the earliest visible headstone dates to 1716. The church is now recorded as derelict.