© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Ballywillin church and graveyard is a medieval to late medieval ecclesiastical site located in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. The monument sits upon bedrock of Palaeogene age, composed of mafic lava and mafic tuff belonging to the unnamed extrusive rock formations that underlie this region. These volcanic rocks, formed during the Palaeogene period around 60 million years ago, are characteristic of the intensely fractured and weathered geology found across much of the north Antrim plateau.
The site comprises both a church structure and an associated graveyard, typical of rural ecclesiastical establishments that served local communities from the medieval period through to the late medieval era. Such sites were often positioned on defensible or prominent locations, and frequently developed around earlier Christian centres established during the Early Medieval period. The juxtaposition of church and burial ground reflects the fundamental role these places played in both spiritual life and social organisation.
Ballywillin church and graveyard is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, Northern Ireland, under reference 11399. This statutory protection recognises the archaeological and historical significance of the site and ensures the preservation of its remains for future study and public understanding of medieval religious practice in Ulster.
Ballywillin. church & graveyard is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 11399. View the official record →
Ballywillin church and graveyard is a medieval to late medieval ecclesiastical site located in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 11399.
Ballywillin. church & graveyard dates from the med/l.med period, and is classified as a ecclesiastical site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ballywillin. church & graveyard is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 11399.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mount sandel. mesolithic settlement site (8.1 km), Rath (9.5 km), The dales, ardvee kahan, ardeveekahan. earthworks (9.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ballywillin. church & graveyard's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Ballywillin. church & graveyard stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.