Building record MAB41751 - BENHOLM PARISH CHURCH

Church, site of an earlier church, and associated graveyard.

Church, site of an earlier church, and associated graveyard. A church has stood on this site since the 12th century AD, a Pre-Reformation church of Benholm, dedicated to St Marnoch and belonging to the Collegiate church of Kirkheugh at St Andrews. When it was demolished in 1832 workmen discovered two skeletons amongst the ruins of the north wall. They appear to have been placed upon a flat stone built into the wall, 1.8 - 2.1 m (6 - 7 feet) above the ground. One side of the stone was rough but the other dressed and contained a number of carved lines and a circle and other unrecorded carvings. It is possible that this stone may have been a medieval recumbent grave slab. The current church is built on a promontory, bordered by a stream. The church was built in 1832 on the site of its medieval predecessor, which had necessitated the use of gunpowder to remove the foundations. The new church was built on sprung arches to avoid disturbing old burials under the floor. Benholm Church is built in a Georgian style, the architectural characteristics being simple, basic and cheap. It took only six months to build after the demolition of the old church. Traces of the early building are visible at foundation level and on the east gable. The church is rectangular on plan and has four bays, pedimented gables, bellcote and slate roof. The walls are harled with ashlar surrounds and quoin detailing. The pedimented west gable of the church has a wide, round-arched doorway with timber double-leaf door and 5-window fanlight. Above is a shallow-arched multi-pane window. The east gable mirrors that of the west except there is a small, open bellcote on the apex of the gable. The bell is now housed within the church. The south elevation has four round-arched windows with multiple panes, while the north elevation is featureless. The interior incorporates 17th century mural monuments, including the Keith Monument, There is also a surviving ore-reformation sacrament house (15th or 16th century) brought from the previous church. A watching brief was carried out by Access in 2014 during digging of a foundation pit for an interpretation panel within the churchyard, but no archaeological features or artefacts were recorded.

Period Notes
Outline of medieval chancel, consecrated in 1242, is preserved in the burial aisle. Present church built in 1832. Sacrament House is 15thC and wall memorial to Mary Keith dated 1621.

Author unknown, 1799, OLD STATISTICAL ACCOUNT, No15, 223 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1845.

SCOTT, H, 1950, FASTI ECCLES SCOT, No5(1925) 454 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1806.

PETERANNA & WOOD, M., 2006, GORDONSTOUN SCHOO MUSIC REHEARSAL FACILITY: WB, 8-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1466.

SYMBOL STONE

ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL, 2014, BENHOLM CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL (Bibliographic reference). SAB5533.

ACCESS ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONDITION SERVICES, 2014, BENHOLM KIRKYARD: WATCHING BRIEF WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB5477.

ACCESS ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONDITION SERVICES, 2014, BENHOLM KIRKYARD: WATCHING BRIEF: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB5481.

ARCAHEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2015, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 15, 2014, p.18 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5542.

Author unknown, n.d., EVENING EXPRESS, 21/04/82 (Bibliographic reference). SAB446.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, No11(1845) 56-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

RCAHMS, n.d., S KINC LIST, No202 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1512.

Sep 17 2011 , GR IMG_0870-0888, GR IMG_0870-0888 (Ground Photograph). SAB13291.

Record last edited

Aug 30 2024 3:28PM