Description

The monument consists of the foundations of a succession of churches within a burial ground, surrounded by the extensive remains of an

early Christian monastery. The latter are only visible from the air,

as marks in growing crops.

The church foundations were excavated in 1915, and found to consist

of re-used Roman masonry, presumably from the nearby fort of Birrens.

A tentative 8th century date has been ascribed to this foundation,

which is largely overlain by the remains of the later parish church which stood on this site from around 1200 to 1815. Around the foundations of the churches is a more recent graveyard. Stone

crosses, fragments of crosses, cross-bases and other carved stones, dating from the 8th century and the 12th to 13th centuries, have been recovered from the site, and are now in museums in Edinburgh and Dumfries. The area around the visible remains is characterised by a complex of features, visible only from the air, indicating widespread activity, in the form of enclosures and possible building

foundations. Some of these features, which have now been partly

quarried away, have been dated by excavation to the same period as

the early church, and the complex would appear to represent the

monastic establishment (traditionally associated with St Kentigern) known to have existed at Hoddom in the Anglian period.

The area to be scheduled consists of two fields, and is bounded by modern fences on the W, N and E and by the River Annan to the S. This area includes the church foundations, burial ground and the surviving remains, visible from the air as marks in growing crops, of the

Anglian monastery, together with an area around these remains in

which evidence may survive relating to the construction and use of

the visible features. The area is marked in red on the accompanying

map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Source: Historic Environment Scotland