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Limavady Church is a medieval ecclesiastical site situated on bedrock of the Roe Valley Group, comprising sandstone and conglomerate deposits formed during the Carboniferous Tournaisian period. The monument comprises a medieval church structure and modern graveyard occupying a location that may preserve the remains of a seventh-century monastery beneath later medieval development. The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 11940.
The underlying geology of sandstone and subordinate argillaceous rocks would have provided suitable building material for medieval construction, whilst the elevated valley setting offered good drainage and visibility across the surrounding landscape. Such locations were favoured for ecclesiastical establishments throughout the medieval period in Ireland, where monastic foundations frequently became the nuclei of parish churches and burial grounds.
The layering of religious activity across the site—from possible early medieval monastic use through medieval church construction to the modern graveyard—reflects the continuity of sacred space and Christian practice in this location over more than a thousand years. The site's sustained use as a focus for worship and burial demonstrates the enduring significance of the location within Limavady's religious and social landscape.
Medieval church & modern graveyard, possibly on site of c7th monastery is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 11940. View the official record →
Limavady Church is a medieval ecclesiastical site situated on bedrock of the Roe Valley Group, comprising sandstone and conglomerate deposits formed during the Carboniferous Tournaisian period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 11940.
Medieval church & modern graveyard, possibly on site of c7th monastery 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.
Medieval church & modern graveyard, possibly on site of c7th monastery 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 11940.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (1.6 km), Tullybrisland cross. cross (1.9 km), Walworth plantation village, ballekelle. plantation village site (4.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Medieval church & modern graveyard, possibly on site of c7th monastery'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.
Medieval church & modern graveyard, possibly on site of c7th monastery stands on Roe Valley Group, bedrock that formed in the Tournaisian. The rock here is sandstone, conglomerate and [subordinate] argillaceous rocks.