Medieval chapel, burial ground, lintel graves and prehistoric pottery.


The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1867 marks the site of a chapel and burial ground, with the annotation 'Site of St Martin's Chapel & Burial Ground'. The neighbouring farmstead, Ballakilmartin, perpetuates both the dedication, and knowledge of the existence, of the chapel.


The Manx Archaeological Survey (1918) investigated the site and found that the farm road and the adjacent hedge cut through the chapel, leaving the remains of the south and east walls. Traces of the foundations also survived beneath the hedge.


The south wall was most complete and survived up to a height of 0.6m; it had been 1.2m wide, and built of stone. The south end of the east wall, 1m wide, survived for a length of 2m, but was reduced to foundation level to the north. The north wall was entirely destroyed, but traces of the west gable survived sufficient to suggest that the doorway may have been located off-centre towards the SW corner. The surviving structural remains suggest a building measuring 5.5 by 2.7m overall.


The Survey found the base of the altar centred against the east wall; it had been about 1.5m wide and 0.6m deep. Some evidence for stone paving survived, and white quartz pebbles were also present close by the foundation of the altar.


Pottery sherds were found in the vicinity of the west wall, prompting the Survey to suggest the presence of Bronze Age burial activity on the site. The surviving sherds indicated a vessel of 300mm diameter.


The Survey suggested that the enclosure then surrounding the chapel could not have accommodated the burial activity known to have taken place around the chapel as agricultural work had disturbed lintel graves and human remains.