Building record MAB42715 - ELSICK CHAPEL

Remains of chapel, the foundations visible as a grass-covered wall of unbonded, roughly coursed stone with an entrance at the west end of the south wall.

Remains of chapel, the foundations visible as a grass-covered wall of unbonded, roughly coursed stone with an entrance at the west end of the south wall. The only tombstone lies outside the south wall of the chapel at its east end in what was probably the south aisle. The inscription is worn and no date is discernible. The burial ground is probably defined by a slight grassy bank which can be traced on the north and east sides of the chapel. At one time this was thought to be the private burial ground and chapel of the Bannermans of Elsick, and although one of them is buried here it is not now thought to be the case. Desk-based assessment, survey and test pitting were carried out by Cameron Archaeology and University of Aberdeen in 2021. Gradiometry and resistivity surveys were conducted in June 2021. The gradiometry survey aimed to identify causes for the building's demise but found no evidence of structures or burning, however this could have been due to the nature of the geology influencing the results. The resistivity data clearly displayed the Chapel building's rectangular foundation. The results also showed a 16 m by 12 m low-resistance feature encircling the rectangular Chapel building. Unlikely to be a natural occurrence, it may suggest an underlying platform from an earlier building phase. Smaller high-resistance features, possibly natural or man-made were recorded. A measured survey in September 2021 identified potential entrances and paths around the Chapel area. A metal detecting survey was carried out near the Chapel, but no artefacts were found. An excavation of eleven test pits was undertaken from the 4th to the 7th of September to investigate the remains of the chapel building, gravestone, and potential burial ground. The wall foundations are well preserved, although no obvious doorways were identified. An early 18th century gravestone was uncovered. Finds included ceramic and stone roof tiles and medieval window glass. Human bones were excavated inside the chapel and near the walls in test pits 1, 2, and 3. A minimum of four individuals, of various age groups, were identified. There were indicators that one of the individuals was female. The findings suggest past burials within the chapel, a practice legally accepted in pre-reformation times, however there is some evidence of the continuation of the practice after 1580s throughout Scotland. The radiocarbon dating of the remains of two individuals returned 15th to 17th century dates, which includes the period associated with the Scottish Reformation and probably indicating building use at this time. However, the remains came from disturbed contexts which could have affected the results. The two fragments of window glass provided further dateable evidence for the chapel. Piece 27 (Test Pit 2) is from early to mid-17th century, while piece 28 (Test Pit 4) is likely late medieval, dating from late 13th to mid-15th century. The combined dateable evidence of the human bones and glass fragments indicate the building's existence around the 16th - early 17th centuries. Three types of roof tiles (orange clay ceramic tiles, grey stone tiles and slate) were recovered, possibly indicating three phases of the building, or a change to more longer lasting and more efficient tiles. The chapel’s date of establishment remains unknown. If the chapel was not built by the Bannerman’s, who owned the estate from the 14th century onwards, it may have come with the acquired land. Furthermore, given the chapel's estate location, it may have been a private chapel.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dates from 2021 excavation: SUERC-102642 - E-CA500-1 (Ulna from TP1) - 1485 cal AD – 1650 cal AD at 2 sigma. SUERC-102643 - E-CA500-2 (rib shaft fragment TP6) - 1490 cal AD – 1658 cal AD at 2 sigma. A p-XRF analysis was carried out two pieces of window glass. Piece 27 from TP2 was likely made in Scotland and was dated early to mid-17th century. Piece 28 from TP4 was dated between the 13th century and mid-15th century.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No10(1865) 19 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

JERVISE, A, 1879, EPITAPHS & INSCRIPTIONS,VOL 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB889.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, ELSICK CHAPEL, CAMMACHMORE, STONEHAVEN: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB8674.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, ELSICK CHAPEL, CAMMACHMORE, STONEHAVEN: METHOD STATEMENT FOR EXCAVATION SEPTEMBER 2021, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8646.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2022, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 22 (2021), pp.14-15 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8314.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, FETTERESSO (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

RCAHMS, n.d., N KINC LIST, No221 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1509.

Record last edited

Jul 18 2024 1:00PM