Building record MAB36862 - OLD PARISH CHURCH, EDZELL

Remains of the former Parish Church, dedicated to St.

Remains of the former Parish Church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, and a graveyard. The Lindsay burial vault forms the only remains of the church, and probably dates from the 16th century, however there is evidence of earlier medieval use of the site. Watson states that Drostan, of the late 6th century, is said to be the patron of Edzell church. A fragment of a sculpted free-standing cross was found on the site, probably dating from around the 8th or 9th century, as was a recumbent gravemarker dating from the 9th or 10th century. The new parish church (NO 598 692) was built in 1818 and used this site as a quarry so that little remains, although the 19th century antiquary Warden saw enough to suggest to him that the church was from the 13th century. Documentary evidence, in the form of a Panmure estate plan of 1766, shows the church, which was a classic T-shape. There is a tool shed from circa 1900 in the graveyard. The 1st edition OS map shows the remains of the church within a rectangular graveyard, with an adjacent irregular enclosure, which is open to the west. On the 2nd edition OS map, the adjacent enclosure has been closed to the west, and the two now form one divided enclosure. Present maps show the graveyard has been extended to the west, and contains a modern square building. The burial aisle opened into the church through a simply moulded depressed archway. It measures 7.5 metres x 5.9 metres (25 feet x 19 feet), and contains a piscina of 16th century date set into the east wall and a collection of grave slabs and fragments. There is a vault underneath the aisle that has a lamp holder set into the ceiling as a keystone. This is a yellow sandstone block with four naively carved skulls surrounding a central iron lamphook. One of the stones making the western doorway has a mason's mark. Nothing remains of the nave, the area being occupied by 19th century graveslabs. The graveyard comprises of a walled enclosure with several tombstones of note. The tool shed is of a baronial style, and is located at the gate. The sculpted cross was found in 1870 during the rebuilding of a wall. It was lost, and subsequently found again in 1952, and moved to Edzell Castle in 1984. The recumbent gravemarker is now located in the Meffan Institute, Forfar. As part of taking the Aisle into the care of Historic Scotland the surviving structure was cleared and recorded by SUAT Ltd in 1999. A survey to discover any remains of the nave and to record the surviving remains was also undertaken. A resistivity survey, contour survey and noting the sites of pre-1818 gravestones of the graveyard discovered a level platform in the area formerly occupied by the nave. A possible extension, perhaps a small sacristy or an external stair to a loft, was discovered at the east end of the site of the northern front of the church. A watching brief during the restoration of access to the vault barely reached the 19th century ground surface. Large amounts of disarticulated human bone was discovered and reburied. The lack of modern dental work indicated that these were not recent. The churchyard contains two Commonwealth war graves.

Period Notes
The remains of the vault date from the 16th century, however the church is earlier. Stones from the 8th or 9th century and the 9th or 10th century were found. The church is given a 13th century date by the 19th century antiquary Warden. It is depicted on an estate plan of 1766. There are 19th century and modern alterations to the graveyard, and a tool shed was added in circa 1900. The church and graveyard were listed on 11/06/1971, but on 28/07/2015 the listing for the church was removed following a review of sites that are also scheduled.

A/57134, A/57134 (Photograph). SAB21992.

A/57135, A/57135 (Photograph). SAB21993.

B/82855/PO, B/82855/PO (Photograph). SAB21994.

B/92701/PO, B/92701/PO (Photograph). SAB21996.

B/92702/PO, B/92702/PO (Photograph). SAB21997.

Jervise, A, 1853, [Untitled], 3-6, 8-9, 14-15, 71 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11966.

Warden, A J, 1880-5, [Untitled], Vol.3, 214-15 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10172.

EELES, FC, 1910, UNDESCRIBED SCULPTURED STONES AND CROSSES .... PSAS 44, 354-372, 358-60 (Bibliographic reference). SAB489.

Reid, A, 1915, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 49, 296-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9633.

Watson, W J, 1926, [Untitled], 318 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10252.

Stevenson, R B K, 1961, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 92, 42-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10330.

Cowan, I B, 1967, Scot Rec Soc 93, 60 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11660.

Coutts, H, 1970, [Untitled], 58, No.13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11019.

RCAHMS, 1983, [Untitled], 20, No.144 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9152.

RCAHMS, 1984, [Untitled], 8, No.16 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9398.

Atkinson, N, 1988, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 27 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10832.

O'SULLIVAN, J, 1994, DES. EDZELL CHURCHYARD, 81 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1375.

ASSESSMENT

Atkinson, N, 1995, Discovey and Excavation, Scotland, 93 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11567.

BOWLER, D, 1999, Lindsay Burial Aisle, Edzell (Bibliographic reference). SAB2258.

Bowler, D, 2000, Tayside & Fife Archaeological Journal, Vol 6, 136-53 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2257.

RCAHMS, 2003, EARLY MEDIEVAL SCULPTURE IN ANGUS COUNCIL MUSEUMS (Bibliographic reference). SAB1613.

FRASER, I, 2008, THE PICTISH SYMBOL STONES OF SCOTLAND, 52-53 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2523.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2014, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 14, 2013, p.35 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5483.

Sep 1 1998 , AAS/GR/98/CT06-16, AAS/GR/98/CT06-16 (Ground Photograph). SAB33124.

Record last edited

Nov 14 2024 3:54PM