Leuchars, St Athernase Parish Church. View from south east

Description Leuchars, St Athernase Parish Church. View from south east

Date c. 1890

Collection Papers of Erskine Beveridge, antiquarian, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 740638

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of F 2025

Scope and Content Parish Church, Leuchars, Fife, from the south-east The Parish Church of Leuchars is dramatically sited on a knoll in the centre of the village. Although the rest of the church is comparatively modern, the chancel and apse are probably the best examples of Romanesque buildings in Scotland. The Scottish photographer, Erskine Beveridge, photographed the church c.1890. The church has a tall nave (left), built in 1857-8, and a lower, almost square chancel (centre) and a still lower apse (right), both dating from the 12th century. The chancel and apse are richly decorated externally, each with two tiers of blind arcading separated by an ornamental string-course. Built on top of the apse is a octagonal belfry dating from c.1700, topped by pepperpot stone capping and a lead weathervane. The 'church of Lochres' was given to the Augustinian priory of St Andrews by Nes, Lord of Lochore, c.1185. The church was mentioned in a papal confirmation of 1187, but not in one of 1183, suggesting that it was built sometime between these dates. It was consecrated by Bishop David De Bernham of St Andrews in 1244, and was dedicated probably to St Athernase or St Ethernise, although the record does not give the name of the saint. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/740638

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap