Chapel Of Garioch, Parish Church, Churchyard And St Mary's Chapel

Parish Church, 1813. Large pleasing kirk in rough local red granite ashlar, with cherry cocking. Interior lit by four strong pointed windows with original wood-traceried Gothic glazing. Slightly undersized bellcote on west gable. Originally rectangular, A M Mackenzie added a north chancel with good furnishings, 1923; further additions, 1968, Albert McCombie. These, and the war memorial stained-glass windows and an extraordinary mosaic memorial, make the interior more than usually interesting.

Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

Chapel of Garioch, Aberdeenshire, cross-incised slab

Measurements: H 0.37m, W 0.27m

Stone type:

Place of discovery: NJ 7162 2417

Present location: in the south-west internal corner of the ruined old church.

Evidence for discovery:

Present condition: weathered and the base may be broken.

Description

This small rectangular slab is incised on one broad face with a linear cross with small ball terminals set on a stepped pedestal (a Calvary cross). Traces of the initials H and T on either side of the cross may be contemporary or secondary.

Date: early medieval or later.

References: RCAHMS 2007, 171.

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2017

NJ72SW 6.00 71624 24168

NJ72SW 6.01 NJ 7162 2414 Old Parish Church (S aisle)

NJ72SW 6.02 NJ 71591 24141 Churchyard Gateway (Pittodrie's Yate)

NJ72SW 6.03 NJ 7160 2411 Hall

For traditionally-associated St Mary's Well (NJ 7178 2400), see NJ72SW 4.

For gravestones in the burial-ground relating to the Nicol family of Whitecross, see under NJ72SW 87 and NJ72SW 89.

For old parish churches of Fetternear (NJ 7332 1752 and 7331 1747) and Logie Durno (NJ 7044 2638), see NJ71NW 9 and NJ72NW 6 respectively.

(NJ 7161 2414) St Mary's Chapel (NR) (Detail not obvious)

OS 6" map, (1959)

The parishes of Chapel-of-Garioch (formerly Logie Durno) and Fetterneir were united in 1599. A new parish church was built at Chapel-of-Garioch and the seat of the Presbytery was removed there soon after.

H Scott 1915-61.

The Chapel of Garioch (NJ72SW 6.01), dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and founded as a private chapel by Christian Bruce, Lady of Garioch and sister of King Robert, sometime before 1357. In the early 17th century it became the parish church.

A gabled archway 9NJ72SW 6.02) to the churchyard, bearing the date 1626, may give a closer dating to this change. The present church (NJ72SW 6.00) was built a little to the North in 1813, and was altered (with additions) in 1926.

NSA 1845; Name Book 1867; W M MacPherson 1895; G Hay 1957.

There is no trace of the chapel, and no indication of its site in the churchyard. The renovated archway (NJ72SW 6.02), measuring 4.5m N-S by 1.1m wide and 4.0m maximum height, is built into the W wall of the modern graveyard at NJ 7159 2413. It is topped by three carved stone finials and on the E side a rectangular recess (0.8m high, 0.6m wide and 0.1m deep) is surmounted by the date 1626. It is doubtful if the archway is part of the chapel but may be part of the original churchyard wall.

Visited by OS (ISS) 11 July 1973.

The Chapel of Chapel of Garioch (C of S) [NAT]

OS 1:2500 map, 1978.

The parish church and village (NJ72SW 118) of Chapel of Garioch occupy an elevated position on the crest of a ridge, the ground falling to the valley of the Urie to the N, and to Balquhain to the SE. The present church, which is of early 19th-century date, is of granite ashlar with cocking. Roofed in slate, it has four round-headed windows in the S wall, a door and window in each gable, a birdcage bellcote with ball-finial on the W gable, and a later aisle added on the N side.

The preceding church (NJ72SW 6.01) stood to the S of the existing building, and is represented only by its S aisle. This now serves as a burial-enclosure, and measures 5.7m from E to W by 3.65m transversely within walls of rubble and mortar construction. The exterior is heavily overgrown with ivy, but a blocked rectangular window is visible in the internal face of the S wall. In the SW corner of the interior there is a small slab bearing a crudely incised calvary cross; the slab measures 0.37m in length by 0.27m in breadth.

The graveyard, which slopes gently from N to S, is enclosed by a sub-rectangular rubble and mortar wall, and there is an elaborate archway (NJ72SW 6.02) towards the S end of the W side. Dated 1626, the archway has a roll-moulded opening, and moulded skews, and it is surmounted by a pediment, with a recess for a panel (now missing), and finials.

Three architectural fragments have been collected inside the church: the first is a semi-circular block, 0.37m high by 0.51m, and 0.32m in maximum thickness, with a recessed face bearing the incised date 1602; the second, which is more roughly shaped or possibly unfinished, is of similar form, measuring 0.59m high by 0.65m, and 0.17m in maximum thickness, but its two faces are incised respectively with a semi-circular line and a shallow channel (90mm wide by 10m deep), and its curving edge bears a small protuberance; the third, probably a fragment of cornice, bears two rows of rectangular bosses separated by a narrow fillet, and measures 0.49m in length by 0.13m in height and 0.28m in thickness.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS, IF), 19 March 1996.

(Classification amended to: Chapel; Church; Burial-ground; Architectural fragments; Medieval grave-slab). The parish church and village of Chapel of Garioch occupy an elevated position on the crest of a ridge, the ground falling away to the valley of the Urie to the N, and to Balquhain to the SE. The present church, which is of early 19th-century date, is of granite ashlar with cocking and roofed in slate. It has four round-headed windows in the S wall, a door and window in each gable, a birdcage bellcote with ball-finial on the W gable, and a later aisle added on the N side. The preceding church stood immediately to the S and is represented only by its S aisle, which now serves as a burial-enclosure. This measures 5.7m from E to W by 3.65m transversely within mortared rubble walls. The exterior is heavily overgrown with ivy, and the sole structural feature visible is a blocked rectangular window, which can be seen in the internal face of the S wall. In the SW corner of the interior there is a small stone slab, which measures 0.37m in length by 0.27m in breadth and bears a crudely incised Calvary cross.

The subrectangular graveyard, which is enclosed by a mortared rubble wall, slopes gently from N to S, and has an elaborate entrance towards the S end of the W wall. Dated 1626, this comprises an archway with a roll-moulding around the opening and moulded skews. The arch is surmounted by a pediment and finials, and there is also a recess for a panel, though this is now missing.

A number of architectural fragments have been collected inside the church. The first is a semi-circular block, measuring 0.51m in breadth by 0.32m in thickness and 0.37m in height, and has a recessed face bearing the incised date 1602. The second is also semi-circular, measuring 0.65m in breadth by 0.17m in thickness and 0.59m in height, but it is more roughly shaped or possibly unfinished. Its faces are incised respectively with a semi-circular line and a shallow channel, the latter some 90mm in width by 10mm in depth, while a small protuberance projects from its curving edge. The third stone, which measures 0.49m in length by 0.28m in thickness and 0.13m in height, is probably a fragment of cornice, bearing two rows of rectangular bosses separated by a narrow fillet.

Visited by RCAHMS (IF, JRS), 6 August 1996.