St John's Mead
Chapel (Medieval)(Possible), Grave(S) (Medieval)
Site Name St John's Mead
Classification Chapel (Medieval)(Possible), Grave(S) (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) St John's Chapel
Canmore ID 15786
Site Number NJ05NW 10
NGR NJ 0156 5523
NGR Description NJ 0156 5523 and 0154 5530
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/15786
- Council Moray
- Parish Rafford
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Moray
- Former County Morayshire
NJ05NW 10 0156 5523 to 0154 5530.
St John the Baptist's Chapel stood, in 1390, towards the northern extremity of the part of the Meads of St John which lay on the east bank of the River Findhorn and in the parish of Rafford.
Name Book 1871
A small monastic foundation stood at St John's Mead in Rafford.
H Scott 1926
At NJ 0156 5523 is the NW corner of a substantial building consisting of 1.4m of the N wall, and 2.7m of the W wall which is 0.9m thick and survives to a height of 4.4m, and which contains a fragment of the N side of a doorway. The position of the door suggests that it is central to the W gable of the building, and the height of the wall supports this, but there is no further evidence to indicate that the building was oriented E-W or N-S as the area around has been cultivated and recently afforested. Locally it is believed that it represents the remains of a monastery, but the name is not known.
According to local information, about five years ago, several human skeletons were discovered immediately S of the cottage at NJ 0154 5530 whilst digging a cess-pit, and there is a tradition of other graves being found in the vicinity.
Visited by OS (AA) 28 April 1971
Field Visit (1871)
St John the Baptist's Chapel stood, in 1390, towards the northern extremity of the part of the Meads of St John which lay on the east bank of the River Findhorn and in the parish of Rafford.
Name Book 1871
Reference (1926)
A small monastic foundation stood at St John's Mead in Rafford.
H Scott 1926
Field Visit (28 April 1971)
At NJ 0156 5523 is the NW corner of a substantial building consisting of 1.4m of the N wall, and 2.7m of the W wall which is 0.9m thick and survives to a height of 4.4m, and which contains a fragment of the N side of a doorway. The position of the door suggests that it is central to the W gable of the building, and the height of the wall supports this, but there is no further evidence to indicate that the building was oriented E-W or N-S as the area around has been cultivated and recently afforested. Locally it is believed that it represents the remains of a monastery, but the name is not known.
According to local information, about five years ago, several human skeletons were discovered immediately S of the cottage at NJ 0154 5530 whilst digging a cess-pit, and there is a tradition of other graves being found in the vicinity.
Visited by OS (AA) 28 April 1971
