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St Blane's church,monastery and 'the cauldron',Bute

A Scheduled Monument in Isle of Bute, Argyll and Bute

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.7373 / 55°44'14"N

Longitude: -5.0366 / 5°2'11"W

OS Eastings: 209457

OS Northings: 653500

OS Grid: NS094535

Mapcode National: GBR FFYK.1QP

Mapcode Global: WH1M6.L2V1

Entry Name: St Blane's church,monastery and 'the cauldron',Bute

Scheduled Date: 4 May 1994

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM90264

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Ecclesiastical: monastic settlement

Location: Kingarth

County: Argyll and Bute

Electoral Ward: Isle of Bute

Traditional County: Buteshire

Description

The monument consists of the site of the early monastery of St Blane's. Remains include the ruins of the parish church, two grave yards, an extensive monastic enclosure, traces of other walls, a number of possible small buildings (or 'cells'), a structure called 'the cauldron', a well, a corn kiln and the socket stone for a cross.

The monastery was founded at an unknown date prior to AD 574 and there is clear evidence of Christian burial in the 6th and 7th centuries AD. The list of abbots extends to 790, when the Viking raids began. St Blane's Church is a fine 12th century Romanesque building, consisting of a nave and chancel. It was used as the parish church of Kingarth until the early 18th century. The associated cemetery is in two parts and the lower graveyard contains traces of a small building orientated E-W. Both graveyards are filled with lines of graves, mostly of 12th to 13th century date. The monastic enclosure is defined to the W by a near vertical rock face and on the other sides by a restored cashel wall from which another wall (now traceable merely as footings) branches off. Remains of other buildings, possibly monastic cells, lie to the SW and NW of the church and St Blane's Well is also located within the enclosure. The cauldron is a circular stone-built enclosure about 10m in diameter of unknown date and origin. Just outside the cashel wall on its NE side is the base stone for a substantial cross and also the remains of a corn drying kiln, about 4m in diameter.

The area proposed for scheduling measures a maximum of 450m NNW-SSE by 225m E-W, to include the church, graveyards, cashel wall, other enclosures, well, possible cells, corn kiln and cross base and an area around in which associated remains may survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Historic Environment Scotland Properties
St. Blane's Church
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/st-blanes-church
Find out more

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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