Building record MAB3408 - ALTYRE PARISH CHURCH

Roofless remains of Altyre Parish Church, and graveyard, situated circa 800 metres North-East of Altyre House (NJ05SW0005) and on the Eastern edge of the Auld Kirk Wood.

Roofless remains of Altyre Parish Church, and graveyard, situated circa 800 metres North-East of Altyre House (NJ05SW0005) and on the Eastern edge of the Auld Kirk Wood. The parish formerly belonged to the parsonage of Dallas, but was disjoined and subsequently added to Rafford in about 1659. The centre of worship was the church located on the Altyre Estate. The estate has been owned by the Comyn (Cumming) family since at least the 14th century. It is a simple oblong chamber dating to the early-14th century oriented to the East, which may have been built on the site of an earlier chapel. Mention in the Chartulary of Moray is made of the use of this chapel in 1230. Its dimensions are 18.65 metres (61.2 feet) East-West, by 9 metres (29.5 feet) North-South overall, with walls 0.9 metres (3 feet) thick. The North side is built on ground sloping away from the church, and simple buttresses have been subsequently added to each end of the North wall for stability. The walls, built of rubble and with ashlar dressings, survive to full height. There is a shallow, pointed-headed entrance in the South wall in the West end of the Church, mirrored by a similar additional entrance opposite in North wall, but which is furnished with a draw-bar hole. Three narrow pointed-headed lancets light the chancel at the end of the South elevation, and there are two further lancets in the centre of the North wall. There is a pointed-headed window, formerly with simply Y-tracery, in the centre of the East gable, in addition to three lancets. Two rectangular paired windows, one on top of other, reveal later alterations in the West gable. There are 3 tombs within the church, and a few outside, including a table tomb for Robert Cumming of Logie situated towards the East end of the church. There are also several gravestones visible within the church, one of which commemorates Robert Cumming of Logie, 1744-1812. The site was cleared and there was some masonry consolidation by Law and Dunbar-Nasmith, architects, in 1986.

Period Notes
Mention of use of chapel in 1230, old kirk abandoned in 1651.Tombstone dated 1812. Masonry consolidation took place in 1986. Listed designation given on 26/01/1971, and changed from a B listing to an A listing on 25/04/1989. It was scheduled on 01/11/1993.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No17(1890) 4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

MACGIBBON, T, 1896, ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND 1, 290-1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1141.

FARRELL, S, 1999, DES : MORAY GRAVEYARD SURVEY, 63 (Bibliographic reference). SAB547.

SURVEY

Jan 1 1977 , AAS/GR/77/CT140-142, AAS/GR/77/CT140-142 (Ground Photograph). SAB32510.

Record last edited

Feb 14 2023 4:24PM