Description

The monument comprises the remains of a small stone church and associated burial ground of medieval date. The monument is situated on ground terraced into a N-facing slope at about 15m above sea level, with uninterrupted views along the valley through which the North River Esk flows.

The church is rectangular on plan measuring approximately 11.5m WNW-ESE by 6.5m transversely and is built in coursed rubble. It is unroofed, but survives to wall-head height. The earliest upstanding remains of the church date from the 13th century, but there is evidence for several phases of construction. The church was restored, and possibly truncated, in 1857. The graveyard is irregular on plan.

The scheduled area is irregular on plan, to include the remains described above. The scheduling extends up to but excludes the boundary walls of the graveyard. The scheduling excludes all burial lairs where rights of burial still exist. The monument was first scheduled in 2003, but the scheduling did not include the graveyard: the present amendment rectifies this.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

This monument is of national importance because of its inherent potential to make a significant addition to our understanding of early church sites in Scotland. The church retains several interesting features such as the masons' marks above the three narrow lights piercing the SE wall; the blocked round-headed priest's door; and a medieval Sacrament House with an ogee arch capped by a fleur-de-lys. There is high potential for the presence of well-preserved archaeological evidence that can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the date and development of parish churches in the region. It is probable that large numbers of graves remain in situ, with the potential to enhance our knowledge of status and burial practice, potentially over an extended period which saw major devotional changes. The monument's significance is enhanced by the capacity to compare it with other broadly contemporary church sites in Angus and to relate them to the medieval settlement pattern. The loss of the monument would significantly diminish our ability to appreciate and understand the architecture and development of early churches in eastern Scotland and the role they played in medieval society.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the site as NO76SW 1.

The Angus SMR reference is NO76SW 0001.

Gilruth, J D 1937, 'Ancient churches on the Angus Northesk – with special reference to the old parish churches of Logie and Pert', Trans Scot Eccles Soc 12, 1.

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/36341/
https://canmore.org.uk/site/36341/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland