Building record MAB27839 - DEER PARISH CHURCH, OLD DEER

Church, still in ecclesiastical use, built in 1788-89 with a tower added and the interior reoriented by R.

Church, still in ecclesiastical use, built in 1788-89 with a tower added and the interior reoriented by R. Raeburn, Edinburgh, in 1880-81, with the tower built to a design by Sir George Reid. Enclosed by associated graveyard. There were further interior alterations to the church in 1898 by A. Marshall Mackenzie. It is a rectangular-plan church building constructed of squared granite with cherry cocking. There are four round-arched windows to the south front and Venetian windows to the east and west, all with dropped keystones. The slim tower has a slated pyramidal spire and porch. The interior originally had the pulpit at the centre of the south wall with a horseshoe gallery, but was re-arranged to face east with a west gallery in 1880-81. The church also has an 1830 Mears bell. Within the churchyard are the remains of the old church of Deer (NJ94NE0002). It also contains the Commonwealth war grave of Lance Serjeant G. Johnston, Gordon Highlanders, who died 25 August 1916. Trail trenching was carried out in the churchyard in September 2016 as part of the Book of Deer Project, to investigate areas where there are gaps in the lair plan. The quantity of human bone indicted that the trenches in the east and north of the churchyard were probably within the medieval graveyard whilst those in the south and west were outwith the medieval graveyard. Trench 6, was within the area of the west end of the medieval church (demolished in the 1780s when the new church was built) and investigate here uncovered the wall foundation of the south wall of the earlier church, with undisturbed burials on its north side. A post 1780 burial lair had been dug through this wall foundation. Trench 7, at the southwest corned of the churchyard recorded only 19th-20th century domestic finds including pottery and building materials. Trench 10 at the southeast corner of the churchyard produced large amounts of building materials including slates, plaster, mortar, sewer pipe and nails, as well as numerous fragments of human bone, indicating that this area was within the medieval graveyard. Trench 12, east of the medieval church was also within the medieval graveyard but finds indicated that the area had also been used to discard 19th century rubbish. In the northeast part of the churchyard, trenches 15 and 16 contained 19th century finds, and several fragments of human bone. An early 17th century coin was also recovered.

Period Notes
Listed 15/02/1982. Built in 1788-79 with additions and alterations in 1880-81 and further alterations in 1898. There is also an 1830 Mears bell.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2016, BOOK OF DEER 16, OLD DEER, ABERDEENSHIRE: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB8019.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2016, OLD DEER VILLAGE, ABERDEENSHIRE: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION FOR SCHEDULED MONUMENT CONSENT FOR UP TO FIVE TRENCHES 2016 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8022.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2016, OLD DEER VILLAGE, ABERDEENSHIRE: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION TEST PITS, 2016 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8020.

Aug 13 2015 , AAS-GR-15-08-492 - 496, AAS-GR-15-08-492 - 496 (Ground Photograph). SAB35407.

Mar 18 2008 , AAS-GR-08-03-006, g007, AAS-GR-08-03-006, g007 (Ground Photograph). SAB36116.

Record last edited

Mar 26 2024 3:42PM