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Bourtie Parish Church
Church (19th Century) (1806)
Site Name Bourtie Parish Church
Classification Church (19th Century) (1806)
Alternative Name(s) Boueriden; Bowirdin; Kirktown Of Bourtie; Kirkton Of Bourtie; Bourtie Kirk
Canmore ID 19727
Site Number NJ82SW 5
NGR NJ 80455 24860
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/19727
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Bourtie
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
Parish Church, 1806, probably by W & A Clerk (on early site). Tranquil amongst tall cypresses on a sunlit slope, at the eastern end of the Garioch. Deceptively simple on a near-square plan, in boulder rubble with a tall piend roof. Two large
Gothic windows with original glazing pierce the south wall and are echoed by two pointed doorways in the north wall. Gablets to east and west, the latter with plain bellcote and ball finial. The interior is a wood-lined delight, with coved
ceiling, horseshoe gallery and original ogee-canopied pulpit with precentor's box. Door furniture also original, and bell, 1760, by John Mowat.
Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
NJ82SW 5.00 80455 24860
(NJ 8045 2485) Church (NAT)
OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 2nd ed., (1928)
NJ82SW 5.01 NJ 8045 2485 Stone: Cross-Incised
NJ82SW 5.02 NJ 80444 24843 Churchyard
NJ82SW 5.03 NJ 80460 24839 Sundial
For Pictish symbol stone built into an exterior wall of the church (high up at the E end of the S face), see NJ82SW 4.
For Kirktown of Bourtie, Old Manse (NJ 8038 2499), see NJ82SW 49.
For cross-incised stone built into farm building at NJ 8038 2483, see NJ82SW 177.
The old wooden offertory-ladle bore the date 1671. The church, a small, extremely plain building, was erected in 1806 on the site of the former church.
OS Name Book 1867.
The church of Bourtie belonged to the Priory of St Andrews. In 1618 the Commissioners of Teinds united the parish of Bourtie to that of Bethelnie or Meldrum; it was disjoined again about 1650. The present church was built in 1806.
H Scott 1915-61.
The kirk of Boueriden or Bowirdin was given to the canons of St Andrews in 1199: in 1574, Bourtie shared a minister with three other parishes.
A Jervise 1875-9.
1806; original pulpit and fittings.
G Hay 1957.
In normal use.
Visited by OS (NKB) 5 March 1964.
NJ 804 248 With the assistance of J Currie, Historic Scotland conservator, a preliminary investigation into the existance of a ceiling painting of 1806-7 was undertaken. As the painting had been masked in 1933 by a heavy coat of lead-based oil paint, only scalpel and mild solvent (white spirit) could be used. A geometric lattice in blue and dark blue, with red ochre, yellow and green was discovered to surround a central motif (damaged light fixture) looking through to a 'heaven ' of aquamarine-blue dotted with gold-leaf stars. This formed the central ceiling. On a sloping side frieze, a possible shoulder of a robed figure holding a crucifix in gold leaf was discovered. Work had to be abandoned because a previous decision made by the Congregational Board to paint over the ceiling had to be respected (church in use). The 1806 restoration of a pre-Reformation building is Listed Category A.
Sponsors: Assistance from Historic Scotland, and assistance for future restoration has been offered by F Lightfoot and R Tinch, Gordon District Planning Dept.
M C Youngblood 1995.
NJ 804 248 Further to preliminary investigation (Youngblood 1995), with assistance of Historic Scotland restorer Fiona Allardyce, an unknown heraldic device of vernacular nature was revealed on the rear ceiling coving painting of 1806-7, masked in 1933 along with other internal features. The investigation of only a small panel (24 x 36"/60 x 90cm) could be undertaken.
The heraldic arms revealed are c 18 x 18"/45 x 45mm, set in the form of an escutcheon on a pale green frame with darker flourishes, resembling the repeat stencil pattern of vine leaves and grapes which form a blue background on the coving. The escutcheon is gilded, with the rendition of a handsaw (sinister) underpinning two gilded fish (dexter) outlined in dark blue.
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Gordon District Council.
M C Youngblood 1996.
An earlier church is mentioned in 1199 and 1574. There is a panel dated 1669 and the bell was made by John Mowat in 1760.
The present church dates from 1806 and has a simple, near-square plan, a tall piend roof with a short ridge, and a small gablet with a bellcote having a ball finial. The interior has a horsehoe gallery and an ogee-canopied pulpit with a precentor's box.
Two badly-damaged Medieval effigies are preserved within the church; the male effigy is said to be that Thomas de Longville. The churchyard has a few 18th and 19th century stones as well as a sundial of 1853 which has a square marble table dial on a circular granite shaft.
NMRS, MS/712/81.
Dates from 1806, with earlier loose pieces inside church, e.g. bell. Also fragments of uncovered painted ceiling.
EXTERNAL REFERENCE:
A.G.R. Mackenzie, Aberdeen (1941) - plans showing repairs & alterations made in 1934.
(Undated) information in NMRS.
