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Desk Based Assessment
Date 8 August 1976
Event ID 583829
Category Recording
Type Desk Based Assessment
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/583829
St Blane's Church and Monastery (S Cruden 1960): St Blane's Monastery was built at an unknown date prior to 574. There is clear evidence of Christian burial there in the 6th and 7th centuries, also that the monastery became a cultural centre around that time. Its list of abbots extends to 790, when the Viking raids began.
St Blane's Church, in use as the parish church of Kingarth until the early 18th century is a fine 12th century Romanesque building consisting of a nave and chancel; the E end of the chancel appears to be of inferior masonry and may be a later rebuild, and the nave was extended to the W in the 15th century. The partly restored walls stand to eaves level, on what was probably a natural eminence, artificially made up to provide a more level surface for the cemetery, which is in two parts. The lower part is traditionally known as the women's burial ground. Within it is a small oblong building, oriented E-W which could have been a Celtic oratory. Extensive excavations by the Marquess of Bute in the late 19th century revealed a wall, apparently dry-built, some 3-4ft wide, now standing 2-3ft high, enclosing an area of 2 or 3 acres. In good condition, it was repaired in 1896.
Traces of further walls running out to the N may not be early. The church and graveyards stood near the centre of the enclosed area. Below the churchyard and still within the enclosure much-ruined irregular lines of stones suggest groups of cells like those found at Tintagel. There are further traces of buildings above the churchyard at the foot of the western outcrop.
Both graveyards are filled with lines of graves marked by cover-stones, mostly of 12th-13th century date. Others may be early, as are some of the stones found during the excavations; they date to the 8th or even 7th century. Excavations at NS 095 534, immediately outside the cashel wall, revealed a corn kiln; 12th-13th century pottery was found (I D Milligan 1963). Much of what is now visible dates from the re-Christianisation of Bute during the period of Norse rule, probably in the 11th century, but some of the sculptures and possibly the enclosure wall and parts of the ruined buildings should be ascribed to the pre-Norse period (C A R Radford 1967).
Information from OS (IF) 8 August 1976
