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Kiel, Cill Choluimchille, Old Parish Church
Burial Ground (Medieval), Church (Medieval)
Site Name Kiel, Cill Choluimchille, Old Parish Church
Classification Burial Ground (Medieval), Church (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Lochaline, Keil Church; Lochaline, Old Parish Church; Cill Choluim Chille; Al Calumch
Canmore ID 22431
Site Number NM64NE 2
NGR NM 67039 45118
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/22431
- Council Highland
- Parish Morvern
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Lochaber
- Former County Argyll
NM64NE 2 67039 45118
For present church (NM 6709 4519) and cross (NM 6709 4512), see NM64NE 1 and NM64NE 4 respectively.
(NM 6704 4512) Cill Choluimchille (NR)
OS 1:10,000 map, (1975)
Kilcolmkill (Argyll, Morvern). Known also as the church of St Columba in Kenevaden or Morvern, it always appears to have remained a free parsonage. It lay originally within the patronage of the Lords of the Isles, on whose forfeiture it passed to the crown, with whom it continued, although as was customary, one quarter of the fruits pertained to the bishops of Argyll.
I B Cowan 1967.
Old Parish Church and Burial-ground, Cill Choluim Chille: The scanty remains of one of the two medieval parish churches of Morvern stand within an extensive churchyard, some 55m SW of the present Keil Church (at NM 6709 4517), the third on the site, which was built in 1898 (SDD Listed: C {SDD 1960-}). The principal surviving feature of medieval date is an archway which probably led from the body of the church into a N transept or burial-aisle. This now forms part of the massive S wall of an enclosure measuring about 5m square within walls averaging 1.1m in thickness, evidently a burial-aisle of late date. The enclosure wall also incorporates numerous re-used sandstone fragments, which are of late medieval date as is the archway.
About 6m to the S of the burial-aisle described above, there is a similar structure, which may replace an earlier aisle built against the S wall of the medieval church. A lintel above the entrance states that this aisle was re-built in ? 1733.
Although the earliest of the visible remains are of late medieval date, evidence for a 13th-century building on the site was recorded by Dr Ross (1914) who identified two stones, wrought with dog-tooth ornament, which he ascribed to that period. These fragments could not be located at the date of visit.
The dedication was to St Columba.
(See also NM64NE 1 and NM64NE 4. )
Surveyed at 1:2500.
SDD 1960-; T Ross 1914; RCAHMS 1980, visited 1980.
Visited by OS (NKB) 15 June 1970.
Field Visit (6 July 1943)
This site was included within the RCAHMS Emergency Survey (1942-3), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, vary from short notes to lengthy and full descriptions and are available to view online with contemporary sketches and photographs. The original typescripts, manuscripts, notebooks and photographs can also be consulted in the RCAHMS Search Room.
Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 10 December 2014.
Project (23 January 2017 - 25 January 2017)
NM 67694 45473 A desk-based assessment, watching brief and walkover survey was carried out during the construction of new waste water treatment works at Lochaline. Three small pits with charcoal and possible iron slag were identified and excavated. A walkover survey was conducted of the surrounding area, including the route of a proposed new pipeline. Twelve sites associated with the post-medieval Knock Township were recorded, including the remains of several turf and stone structures and dykes. Many of these correlate with structures shown on the 1st Edition OS map.
Information from L Stirling – West Coast Archaeological Services
(Source: DES, Volume 18)
OASIS ID: westcoas1-279261
Desk Based Assessment (23 January 2017 - 25 January 2017)
NM 67030 45120 Old Parish Church and Burial-ground, Cill Choluim Chille: The scanty remains of one of the two medieval parish churches of Morvern stand within an extensive churchyard, some 55m SW of the present Keil Church (at NM 6709 4517), the third on the site, which was built in 1898. The principal surviving feature of medieval date is an archway which probably led from the body of the church into a N transept or burial-aisle. This now forms part of the massive S wall of an enclosure measuring about 5m square within walls averaging 1.1m in thickness, evidently a burial-aisle of late date. The enclosure wall also incorporates numerous re-used sandstone fragments, which are of late medieval date as is the archway. About 6m to the S of the burial-aisle described above, there is a similar structure, which may replace an earlier aisle built against the S wall of the medieval church. A lintel above the entrance states that this aisle was re-built in 1733. Although the earliest of the visible remains are of late medieval date, evidence for a 13th-century building on the site was recorded by Dr Ross (1914) who identified two stones, wrought with dog-tooth ornament, which he ascribed to that period. These fragments could not be located at the date of visit. The dedication was to St Columba. Kilcolmkill (Argyll, Morvern); known also as the church of St Columba in Kenevaden or Morvern, it always appears to have remained a free parsonage. It lay originally within the patronage of the Lords of the Isles, on whose forfeiture it passed to the crown, with whom it continued, although as was customary, one quarter of the fruits pertained to the bishops of Argyll.
Information from L Stirling – West Coast Archaeological Services
OASIS ID: westcoas1-279261
