Archaeology Notes

Event ID 648827

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/648827

NS66SW 24.04 61331 61705 Rutherglen Tower and Fragment of Old Church

NS 6133 6170) Steeple (NR)

OS 6" map, (1968)

Rutherglen parish church was dedicated to St Mary: it belonged to Paisley Abbey. In 1791 the church was rebuilt all but the tower. This tower still stands, E of the present church along with the much older wall of the chancel against which it is built. It never had any access from the church. MacGibbon and Ross (1896-7) date the chancel wall to the Norman period (12th century), and the tower to the 14th or 15th century. The upper part of the tower was rebuilt in the 17th century.

D Ure 1793; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1896-7; H Scott et al 1915-61.

The remains of the church are as stated. The tower or steeple is in good condition. Two pier capitals and a base (? Norman) lie outside the tower. There is no trace of the foundations of the choir.

Visited by OS (J L D) 31 March 1954.

Three half capitals, an ornamented voussoir, together with the above three stones have been taken into Rutherglen Museum for safe-keeping.

Information contained in letter from A Gordon, assistant keeper, Rutherglen Museum to OS, 24 September 1980.