Burt, "Druim Bearta" - the height of Bearta, is between Derry and Newtowncunningham. The ancient church belonged to the Abbey of Macosquin, and later became one of the five chapels of ease of Templemore Parish. There have been several churches on the different sites, built about 1620, 1737, and around 1805. The present church was built about 1860 to a design by John G. Ferguson . It is a rectangular hall with a porch and a tower in the north west corner, and a porch to the side of the sanctuary. The tower is surmounted by a cream brick turret and short spire.
There is a lattice window of three lights in the west wall, and a stained glass window of three lights in the east wall. There are four lattice windows in the south wall, and three in the north wall, the middle one of which is lattice.
The first window is in memory of the Rev. Cononolly Cheevers, perpetual curate 1820-1871,
and the other window is in memory of Frances Crookshank who died in 1880.
Burt Church was closed in 1973. It has since been sold and converted into a bar/restaurant. In the words of my friend The Rev. Canon David Crooks, " It is to be regretted that the restaurant within contains a pub, with the old church furniture and fittings, including the pulpit, adjacent to the bar, which to say the least, is in very bad taste".
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