Building record MAB6722 - ST ANDREW'S CHURCH, KIRKHILL

Remains of a graveyard and the site of a parish church.

Remains of a graveyard and the site of a parish church. The walls of the polygonal burial ground are of early 19th century date, and are constructed from rubble, with a tooled rounded cope. There is a pair of square tooled ashlar gatepiers with deep cornices to the caps, and a pair of cast-iron spearhead carriage gates. A church is known to have stood in church yard as early as 1543. When the parishes of St. Andrew's and Lhanbryde combined in the 1780s a new church was built (NJ26SE0040), and this church fell into ruin. Part of it is said to have existed in 1924 as the Leuchar Aisle, and this may be the walled enclosure at NJ2492 6271. Walling 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) to the West of the walled enclosure has a gravestone inserted recording the internment 'in this church' of John Paterson, 1778. The enclosure and walling may have formed part of the church, but are more probably built on its foundations. A slight hollow, 15 metres x 7.8 metres (49.2 feet x 25.6 feet), to the West of the enclosure may be outline of church. The church was surrounded by a small graveyard, and includes some stones of 17th century date. The graveyard contains 17th, 18th, 19th century and later tombstones, with the recorded earliest in 1655 and latest in 1969. There is a square early-18th century private burial enclosure built from rubble, with moulded ashlar jambs to the doorpiece and a moulded wallhead cornice. Recording of tombstones within the graveyard has been carried out by the Moray Burial Ground Research Group.

Period Notes
A church is known to be on the site as early as 1543, and it fell into ruin after 1782. Part of the church is said to have stood in 1924, but this may be a later wall built on the foundations. Tombstones range in date from 1655 to 1969, covering the centuries in between. There is an 18th century burial enclosure. Listed designation given on 24/03/1988.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No21(1870) 25 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

MACDONALD, WR, 1900, PSAS 34(1899-90) 344-429, 408 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1181.

MACKINTOSH, HB, 1924, PILGRIMAGES IN MORAY, 84 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1145.

DOUGLAS, R, 1928, THE LOSSIE, 84 (Bibliographic reference). SAB355.

DI FALCO, J, 1967, PSAS 90(1966-7) 211-54, 211-54 (Bibliographic reference). SAB352.

MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP, 2003, THE FORGOTTEN TOMBSTONES OF MORAY: VOLUME I DIPPLE, ESSIL AND KIRKHILL (Bibliographic reference). SAB7661.

Jul 9 1985 , EU 3-6, EU 3-6 (Ground Photograph). SAB30562.

Record last edited

Jan 29 2024 12:47PM