Archaeology Notes

Event ID 728365

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/728365

NX86NE 5.00 86616 66778

NX86NE 5.01 86636 66790 Kirkgunzeon Churchyard

NX86NE 5.02 8652 6699 Well

See also NX86NE 19 86596 66749 Former Manse now called Mansefield formerly known as Rowanglen.

(NX 8661 6677) Church (NAT)

(NX 8652 6699) St. Winning's Well (NAT)

OS 25" map (1909)

The earliest record of Kirkgunzeon is in a charter of Uchtred (c. 1160-74) in which the lands of "Kirkwinnin" were granted to the monks of Holm Gultram Abbey, Cumberland, for the establishment of a grange. In 1367 the monks were deprived of the grange and the lands were granted to Sir John Hervies.

Kirkgunzeon was earlier known as "Killiemingan" (Kil - St. Finan, Wynnin or Frigidian, a Scots-Irish saint c. AD 579), but no evidence of a Celtic chapel survives nor is it mentioned in early charters.

The chapel erected by the monks continued in use as the parish church until the present church was built in c 1790. Pococke visited the old church c 1750 and described it as old, comprising "Kirk and queere" measuring 64' in length x 17' in breadth, and with a bell bearing the inscription "Kirkwinnong, 1674".

There is a well near Kirkgunzeon Mill dedicated to St. Winning.

J Gillespie 1912; R C Reid 1930; H Scott 1950; G Hay 1957

No further information regarding the earlier churches, The bell, dated 1674, is housed in the fabric of the present church. St. Winning's Well at NX 8652 6699 is a crude stone basin around a natural spring.

Visited by OS (RD) 8 July 1969.