Archaeology Notes

Event ID 730637

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/730637

NY08SE 5 08119 82505.

(NY 0812 8249) Church (NR) (Site of)

OS 6" map (1957)

For (19th-century) Lochmaben, Saint Magdalene's Church (NY 0836 8227), see NY08SE 54.

The church of St Mary Magdalene, granted to the monks of Gisburn in the 12th century by Robert de Brus, stood on the shores of Kirk Loch. It is said to have been burned by the Johnstones in 1593. Added to and altered over the centuries, it served the district till 1818 when it was pulled down.

NSA 1845; F H Groome 1903; C A R Radford 1954; TSA 1962,

No remains. The correct name is 'The Church of St Mary Magdalene'.

Visited by OS (RD) 20 June 1966

Excavations were carried out in Lochmaben Church Yard in 1969 to verify the position of the Old Parish Church. A grave slab of probable late 13th or early 14th century date was found during the cleaning of a small portion of the footings later identified as the eastern end of the north wall. The top of the slab had been broken in order to fit it into the width of the wall. Further excavation of the same length of wall revealed a rough slabbed long cist at a depth of 4 ft. This measured 122 cm by 41 cm and 23 cm deep and contained a skeleton. A small piece of 13th century pottery was found in the soil that filled the cist.

After photographing the skeleton and cist, the slabs were replaced and the excavation filled in. Several pieces of 14th century pottery were also found during the excavation.

J B Wilson 1972.