Medieval chapel and burial ground, holy well.


The Ordnance Survey First Edition 1:2500 map records 'Site of Chapel & Burial Ground' with the usual symbol locating the site at the grid reference provided.


The site lies in the grounds of Ballagawne House, which stands 50m to the west.


The Manx Archaeological Survey (1968) records that both Feltham (1798) and Cumming (1861) had seen the remains of the chapel, but that these had apparently disappeared by the time of the Ordnance Survey in 1868. Canon Savage, writing about 1885, records the reminiscence of the elderly tenant that 'old folks' remembered the structure roofed (i.e. re-roofed?) and used for storing apples: this would be in the early 19th century. Savage also recorded that remains of a floor of clay and stones were apparent at the time of his visit and suggested a building measuring 9 by 4m.


A substantial curved embankment to the east and south of the keeill site would appear to imply the existence of a burial ground enclosure, although no graves have ever been reported within the grounds, despite their intensive use for fruit trees and more recently as a plant nursery. The Survey recorded the bank still standing 0.6m high and up to 3m wide, and surviving for a length of 80m.


Although no graves have been found within the gardens of Ballagawne House, this is in contrast to the land immediately to the north across the highroad. Here, the proposed development in the mid 19th century of a house, on the site now occupied by 'Greenacres', led to preliminary work constructing a gateway and drive, and resulted in the discovery of 'many graves'. The work was consequently abandoned and the site was only developed much later - and with a driveway sited a substantial distance to the east.


Feltham's description of the site in the last years of the 18th century noted a spring on the site. The text is confusing, suggesting that the spring is actually within the chapel, and the Survey instead locates it at a point midway between the site of the chapel and the modern house: this would be at c SC21556950. The well was reportedly resorted to for the treatment of smallpox.