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Alness, Alness Parish Church

Church (17th Century)

Site Name Alness, Alness Parish Church

Classification Church (17th Century)

Canmore ID 13662

Site Number NH66NW 2

NGR NH 64485 69074

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/13662

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Alness
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Ross And Cromarty
  • Former County Ross And Cromarty

Archaeology Notes

NH66NW 2.00 64485 69074

NH66NW 2.01 64486 69060 Churchyard

This church was said to have been out of use for about 20 years prior to 1963. It bears a date-stone '1775' at the SW corner eave, and two dated '1629' at the base of the belfry.

Visited by OS 5 May 1963.

This church, now roofless (HBD No. 10) has a 1672 Novar Aisle together with a later extension to the N and a burial-enclosure of 1671 to the E. Datestone s comemmorate the fact that the main body of the church in its existing form dates from 1625 and was renovated in 1775. However, its basic rectangular plan and orientation suggest a medieval origin, and on the inner face of the NE wall there is a blocked-up arched opening, in all likelihood a medieval tomb-recess.

G Stell 1986; Information from NMRS record sheet RCR/1/1.

Architecture Notes

NMRS REFERENCE:

ARCHITECT: Ross & Joass (I.A. Sept 16, 1862) Repairs

The interior of Category B Listed Alness Parish Church was stripped in 1966/67. Information from Demolitions catalogue held in RCAHMS library.

Site Management (11 November 1992)

1672 T-plan church incorporating earlier work, renovated 1775-80. Harled with ashlar margins. Symmetrical south elevation with paired ground and gallery windows in outer bays and pair long central windows in centre bay. Bellcote with stumpy finials at west apex, ball finial at east and thistle finial at north; moulded and initialled jambs to north door (which probably gave access to former Novar aisle). Additional later extension to north gable with wide blocked doors (possibly stabling/carriage house for Novar aisle). External gallery stair to east gable; also burial enclosure with Munro eagle (Novar) dated 1671. Semi-circular mural recess in NE internal wall, probably for recumbant figure.

Lintel in north inscribed; "Mortis meditatio vita est 16 WML IMT 72" (To think on Death is Life). (Historic Scotland)

Activities

Photographic Survey (1967)

Photographs by RCAHMS in 1967.

Note (1979)

Alness Church NH 644 690 NH66NW 2

There is documentary evidence for the existence, before 1227, of a church on the site occupied by the present 18th-century one, which has two stones bearing the date 1629 incorporated in the belfry.

RCAHMS 1979

(OPS 1851-5, ii, 472-3)

References

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