Description

The monument consists of a rectangular stone-built aisle which is now free-standing within the churchyard at Guthrie, to the south-west of the parish church, but which originally projected from the south flank of the medieval parish church.

It was built to house the Guthrie family burial place and college either around the time of the foundation of the college in about 1479 or around the time of its augmentation in the early sixteenth century.

It has a doorway and small window in the west wall and a three-light rectangular window in the south gable wall; The east wall was blank to accommodate the altar retable. The aisle communicated with the church through an arch in the north wall, but a doorway was formed in this arch when the nave was demolished in 1826.

The aisle is still covered by the original roof timbers, though the painted boards with which the roof was ceiled, and on which are depictions of the crucifixion and last judgement, are now in the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The area to be scheduled is confined to the area occupied by the aisle itself, measuring 8.2 metres from north to south and 6.1 metres from east to west, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. All remaining burial rights within the aisle are excluded from the scheduling.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as one of the most complete surviving examples of a late medieval rural collegiate aisle.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NO 55 SE 5.01

Bibliography:

Apted, M. R. and Robertson, W. N. (1961-2) 'Late fifteenth century church paintings from Guthrie and Foulis Easter', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol. 95, 262-279.

Cowan, I. B. and Easson, D. E. (1976) 'Medieval religious houses in Scotland' London and New York, 2nd ed. 214 and 222.

Fawcett, R. (1994) 'Scottish architecture from the accession of the Stewarts to the Reformation, Edinburgh, 144-147.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland