Barevan Church
Burial Ground (Medieval) - (Post Medieval), Church (Medieval)
Site Name Barevan Church
Classification Burial Ground (Medieval) - (Post Medieval), Church (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Kirkton Of Barevan; Foxmoss Wood; St Barevan's Church And Churchyard; Bareven Church, Kirkton Of Bareven
Canmore ID 15068
Site Number NH84NW 6
NGR NH 83685 47253
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/15068
- Council Highland
- Parish Cawdor
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Nairn
- Former County Nairn
NH84NW 6 83682 47254.
(NH 8368 4725) St Barevan's Church (NR) (In Ruins) Holy Water Fonts (NAT)
(NH 8368 4726) Stone Coffin (NAT)
OS 6" map, Nairnshire, 2nd ed., (1906)
This was the parish church of Barevan or Cawdor until it was superseded in 1619. (See NH84NW 4 for later church)
The ruin is early 14th century. In 1937 the side walls stood to a height of 11 to 12ft, but the gables were reduced to the foundations. The piscina niche near the east end still contained its double bowl (i.e. the published 'Holy Water Fonts').
Simpson (1937) makes no mention of the annexe on the SW corner, which is shown on the OS 6"map, Nairnshire, 1st ed., (1869) and is noted by the OS Reviser in 1955. Watson (1926) derives the name 'Barr Eibhinn' from Aibind, who was active between 500 and 550 AD. This Celtic origin is apparently confirmed by a Celtic bell, said to have belonged to the church, which is preserved at Cawdor Castle.
The churchyard contains, south and south-west of the church, some late mediaeval grave-slabs, and, to the north of the church, a mediaeval stone coffin.
There are also at least a dozen cup-marked grave-slabs in the churchyard.
OS reviser D Wainwright 15 September 1955.
W Jolly 1882; W J Watson 1926; W D Simpson 1937.
St Barevan's Church, measuring 21.6m E to W by 6.2m transversely internally, with walls 0.8m thick, the graveyard and its contents, are as described above, except that no trace remains of the cup-marked grave-slabs, nor could their present whereabouts be ascertained. The annexe on the SW corner of the church is a fairly modern burial place. Visited by OS (NKB) 22 November 1965.
Of special interest as the architectural detail associates it with the hall-house at Rait (NH85SE 10).
J G Dunbar 1966.
Continuing the work carried out previously (Farrell 1997), a photographic survey to enhance a number of sites which had previously been partly recorded was conducted, including:
NH 8368 4725 Kirkton of Barevan.
A full report is lodged with Highland SMR and the NMRS.
Sponsor: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
S Farrell 1998.
Scheduled as St Barevan's Church and Churchyard, Foxmoss Wood.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 29 March 2001.
A survey was made of the following graveyard as part of a wider study of graveyards in the Highland area (see DES 2002, 60).
Barevan churchyard (Cawdor parish)
NH 8368 4725 119 memorials recorded.
Breachlich churchyard (Petty parish)
Sponsor: Marc Fitch Fund.
S Farrell 2003
Non-Guardianship Sites Plan Collection, DC23070, 1938.
Field Visit (May 1978)
St Barevan's Church NH 836 472 NH84NW 6
The ruins of an early 14th-century church, formerly the parish church of Cawdor and traditionally linked with St Aibind, stand to a height of about 3m and have been used as a graveyard since the church was superseded in the 17th century. A medieval stone coffin is preserved to the N of the church while a mortuary enclosure of no great age is attached to the SW corner.
RCAHMS 1978, visited May 1978
Watson 1926, 271; Simpson 1937, 108, 111-5
