Archaeology Notes

Event ID 667809

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/667809

NJ56SW 1 centred 50885 61660

(NJ 5088 6165) Church (NR) (In Ruins)

OS 6" map, Banffshire, 2nd ed., (1905)

(NJ 5090 6164) St John's Well (NR) (Site of)

OS 25" map, Banffshire, (1902)

For (adjacent) Tower of Deskford, see NJ56SW 2.

St John's Church is first mentioned in 1541, but as a 'chapel' at which time it was partly rebuilt. It is first described as a 'church' in 1545 (MacGibbon and Ross 1896-7). It possesses a rich sacrament house added in 1551 (Childe 1961).

In 1872, when the new church was built, the old church was unroofed but the walls were cemented for preservation and the sacrament house was boarded over to protect it.

The church is a long narrow building, orientated, with an outside stair at each end that led to the gallery.

A well, dedicated to St John, was near the church, but is now drained (Anon 1884).

All that remains of this well is a hollow space in the old wall between the church and the tower (NJ56SW 2) (ONB 1866).

Deskford Old Kirk and Sacrament House.

Ordnance Survey Name Book (ONB) 1866; Anon 1884; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1896-7; V G Childe 1961.

The church, with sacrament house intact, is as described above, except that there are no traces of the outside stairs remaining.

There is no trace of St John's Well. The siting information provided by the Name Book (1866) and incorporated on the OS 25" map, (1902), is incorrect; the 'hollow space in the old wall' is in fact a blocked entrance.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 18 September 1961.

No change.

Visited by OS (NKB) 27 July 1967.

Scheduled with (adjacent) Tower of Deskford (NJ56SW 2).

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 20 February 1997.

INVENTORY OF GRAVEYARD AND CEMETERY SITES IN SCOTLAND REFERENCE:

Address: Deskford Burial Ground; Kirktown of Deskford, Moray

Postcode: AB56 5UA

Status: In current use for burials

Size: 0.23 hectares, 0.56 acres

Polygon: Yes

TOIDs: 1000000173491197, 1000000173491202, 1000000173491237, 1000000173491252, 1000000173491272

Number of gravestones: Not known

Earliest gravestone: Not known

Most recent gravestone: Not known

Description: Graveyard associated with a (no longer extant) church

Data Sources: OS MasterMap checked 30 June 2005; Bereavement Services Portal checked 30 June 2005