St Patrick's C of I church, Glenshesk Road, Armoy, Ballymoney, County Antrim

St Patrick's Church of Ireland church at Glenshesk Road, Armoy, was originally built as a single-storey structure in 1820, with a two-stage tower, spire and chancel added in 1846, and a small vestry added in 1869. The church is prominently positioned on a rise beside a bend in the Glenshesk Road, roughly a mile east of Armoy. The nearby ruins of a 10th century round tower occupy part of the surrounding graveyard and significantly enhance the setting.

The building is constructed in basalt rubble with sandstone quoins and brick and sandstone dressings to the openings. The roof and octagonal spire are slated. The tower is positioned at the west end of the building.

The south face of the tower features a tall pointed arch doorway at ground floor level with a recently replaced timber-sheeted double door and brick and painted render surround. The upper stage has a pair of pointed arch louvered openings separated by a bevelled stone mullion, with brick dressings, moulded drip stone and brick relieving arch. The west face of the tower has a tall pointed arch window to the lower stage with timber frame and leaded lattice-pattern glazing, moulded drip moulding and similar dressings, while the upper stage mirrors the south face with identical paired openings. A relatively recently built lean-to has been constructed against the north face of the tower; above this level is a window-like outline with cement render dressings. The east face of the tower, exposed only at upper stage level, is identical to the other faces. A moulded string course separates the stages, with another above the upper stage. The tower has a battlemented parapet topped with a fish-shaped weathervane.

The north face of the nave contains three relatively large pointed arch windows with leaded glazing similar to the tower windows but with secondary glazing over. These windows have raised paint render dressings. The south face of the nave has four similar windows with brick dressings. Both nave faces have parapets to their gables with short end piers and a pier-like finial to the apex of the parapet on the east gable.

The chancel, which extends east from the nave, has a grouping of three tall narrow pointed arch windows with stained glass on its east face. These windows have brick dressings and relieving arches, both appearing to have been renewed in recent times. A lean-to vestry is attached to the left (east) end of the nave and the north face of the chancel. The vestry's west face has a pointed arch doorway with timber-sheeted door and sandstone dressings; its north and east faces feature small pointed arch windows with timber frames and metal lattice panes, with sandstone dressings. The larger window to the east face incorporates Y-tracery framing. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted throughout.

The church is surrounded by a small graveyard containing headstones dating back to the 18th century. A headstone near the ruins of the round tower, belonging to Captain Alexander Clark and dated 1786, is practically identical to contemporary headstones in Ramoan Old Graveyard near Ballycastle and is undoubtedly the work of the same mason, Alexander McDonnell. The graveyard is enclosed by a low rubble wall with a pedestrian gateway to the west, featuring large rounded pillars with rendered finish and shallow conical caps, and an iron gate. A tarmac pathway leads from the gateway to the church entrance.

The presence of the 10th century round tower indicates the site has likely been occupied by a church since at least that date. The present church was rebuilt on the foundations of an ancient church in 1820, according to an Ordnance Survey date stone. The original church, of similar breadth but 12 feet longer, was demolished due to the accumulation of graves around its windows and doors. Records from 1834 indicate the church measured 50½ feet by 27 feet. In 1846, the tower was constructed, the nave extended by approximately 10 feet (recorded as 20 yards in the 1859 valuation), and the chancel was added. The vestry extension is believed to have been built in 1869. A major restoration scheme was carried out in 1997.