Priory Plantation House ( Remains of), Dungiven Priory, Priory Lane, Dungiven, Co Londonderry, BT47 4PF

Priory Plantation House (Remains of)

The ruins of a former Augustinian Priory, consisting of a nave and chancel, which were adapted in the early 17th century into a Plantation fortified house and church. The walls stand almost to wallplate level and are built in coursed random rubble. At the south-west corner are the lower wall remains of the fortified Plantation house.

The east gable features two centrally placed narrow lancets with pointed heads and splayed sandstone trim. The pointed heads appear to be cut from a single stone. The top part of the gable is missing. The walling in the lower part is roughly coursed, while above the lancets it is random rubble work, with some sections probably rebuilt. The quoin stones form a good line. A passageway separates the gable from higher ground of the graveyard, which is retained by a stone wall. This passageway continues along the south wall of the chancel and nave with an obstructing piece of masonry crossing it in line with the gable.

The south wall of the chancel contains a single lancet, approximately three times the width of those in the gable, positioned above a former doorway now built up. The lancet has a modern glazed timber frame protected by steel mesh. The chancel walls are set back on each side from those of the nave. The south wall of the nave has a small round-headed window, similar to that at Banagher old church ruins, positioned about one-third of the way along the nave wall from the chancel. The wall is almost demolished towards the south corner, where there is a semblance of a door leading into the base of the former tower.

The west wall retains only 1.5 metres of height and would have formed part of the former tower house, likely with greater wall thickness. It has a doorway on its south side entering under the tower. The north wall of the nave contains the principal church door, a round-headed opening with a flanking wall projecting at right angles, suggesting a porch. Between this door and the chancel is a large pointed window with hood moulding and eroded remains of stops. Stone tracery stumps remain in the pointed upper part; the window possibly had flamboyant tracery similar to that in Monea Church of Ireland, taken from Devenish church ruins. The north wall of the chancel has no openings. The stonework is impressive, semi-coursed with roughly squared blocks. A temporary timber fascia caps the chancel wall, which is protected by a corrugated iron roof.

The walls of the fortified house stand generally only a metre high and resulted from excavations carried out in 1982. The exposed walls show three compartments at ground level, two in line at right angles to the church at the south corner. A great width of masonry separates the two spaces, suggesting an internal fireplace.

The Priory and fortified house ruins are situated within an old graveyard east of Dungiven, at the end of Priory Lane, a long well-kept pathway. The graveyard sits on a prominence overlooking the River Roe in a pleasant, secluded location.