Archaeology Notes

Event ID 689549

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/689549

NO50SW 5.00 54956 02573

NO50SW 5.01 54974 02602 Gatehouse

NO50SW 5.02 54912 02601 Parish Church

NO50SW 5.03 549 026 Priory Walls

NO50SW 5.04 54930 02618 Church Yard

See also:

NO50SW 464 5492 0267 Proposed new Town Hall

(NO 5495 0257) Priory (NR)

OS 1:10000 map (1973)

The remains of Pittenweem Priory surrounding the Inner Close are:

(a) the 3-storeyed W range, known as the Great House. This was built in the 15th century (SDD List 1962), and was the part where the monks and their servants lived. It was secularised late in the 16th century, and part rebuilt as the Town Hall in 1821. The remainder, to the N, has been recently restored as houses for two clerical families (H Fenwick 1970). (b) A 3-storeyed S range, the Prior's Lodge, of 16th century date, later restored as a rectory, and

(c) the N wall, mostly of 17th century date. See NO50SW 5.01 - 5.03). The lands of Pittenweem were granted to the monks of May (see NT69NE 1) by David I c.1142. While it is commonly assumed that this priory was established through the transference to Pittenweem of the community in the Isle of May during the late 13th or early 14th century, i.e. in the period within which the priory of May passed from the possession of the Benedictine Abbey of Reading into the possession of the Augustinian Priory of St Andrews, it is impossible to trace the precise course of events or to assign it a specific date. The available evidence presents and abundance of problems and discrepancies. The monastic buildings were granted to the burgh of Pittenweem by James VI in 1593.

RCAHMS 1933; D E Easson 1957

The Prior's Lodge and the Great House are now private residences and are as described. (See NO50SW 5.03 for precinct wall.)

Visited by OS (DWR) 30 May 1974