Archaeology Notes

Event ID 732265

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/732265

NY27NE 1.00 25019 75354

NY27NE 1.01 NY 2503 7534 Fair Helen's Tombstone

NY27NE 1.02 NY 25020 75356 Maxwell Mausoleum

For present parish church of Kirkpatrick Fleming (NY 2764 7009), see NY27SE 27.

For Kirkconnel, Fair Helen's Cross (NY 2498 7537), see NY27NW 9.

Not to be confused with Kirkconnel parish church in Nithsdale, for which see NS71SW 22.

(NT 2501 7535) Kirkconnel Church (NR) (Remains of)

OS 6" map (1957)

Kirkconnel church first comes on record in 1191; the church was dedicated to St Conal and the parish was united with Kirkpatrick Fleming in 1609.

H Scott 1915-65.

The remains of Kirkconnel Church consist of a roofless rectangular building measuring 7.0m E-W by 6.0m transversely over mortared stone walls 0.7m thick. The walls are about 3.5m high on average, the W gable being entire. An outside stair abuts the S wall and a doorway is in the E wall. Inside are the springings of a barrel vault.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 16 October 1967.

RCAHMS 1920

Kirkconnel (Glasgow, Annandale). Although this church does not appear in any valuation rolls of the diocese of Glasgow, it was evidently an independent parsonage lying within the patronage of the Carlyles of Torthorwald from at least 1529 to the Reformation.

I B Cowan 1967.

Kirkconnel church in its present form is post-Reformation, and none of the grave-slabs visible (NY27NE 1.01) pre-date the 17th century, although there is some evidence of the platform of an earlier church beneath the present one. The form of the place-name is late, and is probably connected with a medieval dedication to Convallus, a disciple of Kentigern (W J Watson 1926). (Cf Kirkconnel near New Abbey, associated with a 12th century church dedication.) (This early church was doubtless associated with the nearby deserted medieval village - see NY27NW 15.)

T H McK Clough and L R Laing 1969.

No change to the previous field report.

Visited by OS (IA) 21 February 1973

On the edge of the wooded park 0.5km NW of Springkell House (NY27NE 13.00) is Kirkconnel Churchyard, serving a parish united to Kirkpatrick-Fleming in 1609. In it, the roofless W end of the old church. This surviving part is a rubble-built rectangle, c. 6.8 by 5.8m; some of the walling is probably medieval, but the cornice (best-preserved on the S side) and the rusticated quoins of the W gable appear late 17th century.

Magnificent collection of 18th century headstones, carved, often in high relief, with emblems of mortality, angels' heads and heraldry.

J Gifford 1996.

Scheduled as 'Kirkconnel old church and graveyard, 520m WNW of Springkell...'

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 13 March 2008.