Ballykelly old church/graveyard, Walworth Road, Ballykelly, Limavady, Co Londonderry, BT49 9JU

Ballykelly Old Church is a substantial ruin of a 17th and early 18th century plantation church, standing within an enclosed graveyard on Walworth Road. The building represents a good example of early 17th century plantation church foundation with later rebuild and extensions, set in a secluded location adjacent to the former fortified house and plantation village.

The ruins occupy a position at the west end of Plantation Road. According to Raven's map, the site marks the western edge of the original 17th century village, which developed on both sides of the Ballykelly river before being re-established much later to the east on higher ground.

The church consists of stone wallsteads measuring approximately 20 metres by 8 metres to the outside of the walls. The walls are built primarily of whinstone with roughly worked sandstone quoins. The chancel walls incorporate more sandstone than the nave, with a distinct joint between the masonry suggesting the chancel was a later addition, though it already appears on Raven's map. The nave and chancel are separated by a very positive round-headed sandstone and moulded archway 2700 millimetres wide. The long walls stand approximately 1800 millimetres high, with gables clearly distinguishable at either end.

A window opening survives at the chancel end, with a similar opening in the west end gable, though it is difficult to determine whether this western opening is a door or window. Raven's drawing shows a doorway in the middle of the nave south wall with two windows on either side. There are also openings shown above the chancel arch and above the opening in the west gable, whose purpose is uncertain, though they may have provided light and access if the church and chancel had flat ceilings.

Built into the south-west wall of the chancel is a rectangular sandstone plaque, almost entirely obliterated except for the date 1719 in the bottom right hand corner. Right Honourable Lieutenant-General Frederick Hamilton is reputed to have built or rebuilt the chancel and adorned the church in 1719, following the death of his wife Lady Jane Hamilton. He erected an elaborate monument in her honour, which may originally have been placed in the north wall at the chancel end. When the church was abandoned in 1795, this monument was transferred to the new church.

The building is surrounded by a graveyard bounded by a rubble wall approximately 1500 millimetres high. Access is gained through a narrow gateway concealed in an overgrown laneway. The graveyard wall, gate piers and gate form part of the historic setting.

The church was destroyed in 1641 and again in 1689, with restorations in those years and renovation in 1719. The Manor of Walworth was conveyed to the Fishmongers in 1618, shortly after which the church appears to have been constructed. From 1628, the Hamilton and Beresfords families were lessees, though the Civil Survey of 1654 to 1656 identifies Capt Lane and George Downing as lessees. The church ceased its ecclesiastical purpose after 1795. A monument associated with the site is also recorded separately (Scheduled B93/80 and B68/88).