Building record MAB11616 - ST PETER'S CHURCH, RATHVEN
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Summary
Remains of parish church and graveyard.
Protected Status/Designation
- Listed Building (B) 15529
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NJ 4432 6563 (67m by 105m) Centred at - Polygon: Known Site Extent |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NJ46NW |
| Authority | Moray |
| Civil Parish | Rathven |
Type and Period (12)
- Monument (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- GRAVE (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- CHURCH (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- ARCH (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- PLAQUE (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- WALL (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- RAILINGS (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- GATE (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- GATE PIER (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- ENCLOSURE (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- Graveyard (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
- CHURCHYARD (12th Century to 19th Century - 1100 AD to 1899 AD)
Full Description
Remains of parish church and graveyard. It was replaced in 1794 by the present parish church (NJ46NW0012), at which time the church was partially destroyed to provide building materials for this. The only remnant of the church, known as the Rannas Aisle, is in the North-East of the graveyard, and is a much restored structure that formed the South aisle of the demolished church, and is dated 1612. It is rectangular, and constructed of harl pointed rubble with ashlar dressings. It is vaulted, with a large Gothic round-headed arch with chamfered ashlar margins, a concave moulded eaves cornice and a flush faced slab roof. Inside is a substantial marble memorial to Andrew Hay of Rannas, who died in 1789, and other memorials to his ancestors from the 15th to the 18th Centuries. The graveyard is large and irregular, and contained by a rubble wall with tooled ashlar cope. Cast-iron railings at the North-West flank a simple entrance with a pair of slender cast-iron gatepiers, and closed by plain spearhead carriage gates. The Southern end of the railings on the West side of the graveyard go into one of a pair of tall square ashlar gatepiers with pyramidal caps supporting a blocked entrance consisting of a round-headed harl pointed rubble and coped wall. A second cast-iron spearheaded gate supported by square gatepiers with pyramidal caps is in the South-West re-entrant angle. There are various tombstones from the 18th century and subsequent dates, and the burial enclosure of Gordons of Farskan and Nether Buckie, erected in 1799, but incorporating a memorial from 1592. There are five Commonwealth War Graves within the graveyard. Monumental inscriptions within the churchyard were recorded by the Moray Burial Ground Research Group in 2010-12.
Period Notes
Dated 1612; burials from 1421 -1789; demolished 1794; burial enclosure erected 1799 incorporating a 1592 memorial. Site designated on 22/02/1972.
JERVISE, A, 1879, EPITAPHS & INSCRIPTIONS,VOL 2, VOL I,273 (Bibliographic reference). SAB889.
CRAMOND, W, 1885, CHURCH OF RATHVEN, 3,76-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB308.
MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP, 2003, NEWSLETTER, Issue 16 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5098.
MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP, 2015, MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS: RATHVEN CHURCHYARD (Bibliographic reference). SAB7657.
Jun 9 2008 , Untitled Source (Ground Photograph). SAB32194.
SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, RATHVEN 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.
Other Statuses/References
- Authority: MOR;
- HES Listed Building Number: 15529;
- NMR Card Number: NJ46NW2;
- NRHE Numlink: 17411;
- Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NJ46NW0001;
External Links (2)
- https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB15529 (Historic Environment Scotland Portal Link)
- https://www.trove.scot/place/17411 (trove.scot link)
Sources/Archives (6)
- --- SAB1827 Bibliographic reference: SDD. n.d.. BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST. RATHVEN 2.
- --- SAB308 Bibliographic reference: CRAMOND, W. 1885. CHURCH OF RATHVEN. 3,76-7.
- --- SAB32194 Ground Photograph: Jun 9 2008 . DG.
- --- SAB5098 Bibliographic reference: MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP. 2003. NEWSLETTER. Issue 16.
- --- SAB7657 Bibliographic reference: MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP. 2015. MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS: RATHVEN CHURCHYARD.
- --- SAB889 Bibliographic reference: JERVISE, A. 1879. EPITAPHS & INSCRIPTIONS,VOL 2. N. VOL I,273.
Finds (1)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
Record last edited
Sep 5 2025 12:04PM
