Archaeology Notes

Event ID 691185

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/691185

NO56SE 13 59666 60340

(NO 5967 6033) Maison Dieu Chapel (NR) (Ruin) AD 1256

OS 25" map (1864)

A hospital designated Maison Dieu was founded before 1267 by William de Brechin whose charter refers to St Mary's Chapel of his foundation and to the master, chaplains and poor people there. Bedesmen were still being maintained in 1582 and there are references to the mastership until at least 1636, when the office was conjoined with a mastership in the grammer school.

The surviving walling is part of the 13th century chapel consisting of part of the S wall and fragment of the E wall, worked in a pure and simple first pointed style, of great architectural value.

The S wall is about 40' long and contains a doorway with a nook shaft in each jamb and good mouldings on the arch. It also contains three lancet windows and one jamb of a fourth. The fragment of the E wall terminates at the jamb of the first window. The mouldings of the windows are plain but effective.

There is a piscina in the S wall but the details are damaged.

D E Easson 1957; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1896

As described. A filled-in lancet window, probably part of the E gable, exists in the W gable of the adjacent house.

Visited by OS (JLD) 24 July 1958

This building may be affected by a proposed development, in an area adjacent to Dubton Farm, Brechin. As a first step, a desk-based assessment was carried out to ascertain what likely impact any develpoment here would cause to the locality. No archaeological excavation was carried out, but maps and aerial photos were studied. Further work will be necessary if the develooment is to go ahead. Existing sites and buildings that will be affected were studied and listed.

S Badger 2005

A watching brief was carried out by SUAT Ltd 20m west of the chapel remains. Maison Dieu Lane was widened and a new wall built, along with a new car park in a section of former school playground. See site NO56SE 305 for more details.

J Dowling 2006