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Caputh, Mute Hill, Old Parish Church
Burial Ground (Medieval) - (20th Century), Church (Medieval)
Site Name Caputh, Mute Hill, Old Parish Church
Classification Burial Ground (Medieval) - (20th Century), Church (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Old Kirkyard And Delvine Vault
Canmore ID 27116
Site Number NO04SE 10
NGR NO 08332 40010
NGR Description NO 08332 40010
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/27116
- Council Perth And Kinross
- Parish Caputh
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District Perth And Kinross
- Former County Perthshire
NO04SE 10.00 Centred on NO 08238 40010
NO04SE 10.01 083 400 Hagart of Glendelvine Monument
For present parish church (NO 0882 4008), see NO04SE 45. For dressed and cross-incised stones, possibly from this church, built into a wall at NO 0839 4002, see NO04SE 12.
(Area: NO 083 400) The old church of Caputh stood on the rising ground of Mute Hill, c.600 yds. W. of the present (1798) church, and where the burial- ground still is. It is said to have been built by Bishop Brown, c.1500.
New Statistical Account (NSA) 1839
Within Caputh Old Kirkyard is a small square building (? mortsafe) with '1500 and 1819' in incised early 19th c lettering.
The Delvine Vault - Mute Hill, is the chancel of a 1500 kirk, squared off about 1798 and given a pyramid roof.
Scottish Development Department (SDD) 1963
EXTERNAL REFERENCE:
Scottish Records Office
'Repair of the ruins of the Parish Church'.
Receipt for Sir George Steuart of Grandtully's proportion of the cost.
1746 GD 121/ Box 50/ 285
Acceptance of the report on the new Church and Schoolhouse at Caputh by the Heritors.
In consequence of the report the building committee is authorised to collect the remaining moiety of Mr Stewart's estimates together with sums for unavoidable additional expense.
1799 GD 121/ Box 67/ 409/ 1
Proposal to rebuild the Church of Caputh.
Local tradesmen report that the condition of the church is ruinous. The Presbytery agress that a new Church, seating 1000 peopl, should be built. The Heritors are asked to agree upon a Plan and Specification. The work to be finished by 1799.
1697 GD121/ Box 410/ 68/ 1
Expense of buildig Church and Schoolhouse.
Receipt from John Stewart to Sir George Steuart of Grandtully for his share of #50 'to indemify my loss as contractor owing to the sudden rise in foreign wood'.
1800 GD 121/ Box 68/ 410/ 1
Building the Church and Schoolhouse at Caputh.
Estimates for Church and Schoolhouse (i) #735.10.4; (ii) #410.7.8
Note of Sir George Steuart's proportion of the cost for both estimates followed by receipts.
1798 and 1799 GD 121/ Box 68/ 410/ 1
The Church and Schoolhouse.
Report on thier condition, a proposal to rebuild and permission to appoint craftsmen.
Minutes of the Presbytery of Dunkeld.
1796-99 GD 38/ 1/ 1148
Field Visit (11 October 1973)
Mr Bell (F R Bell, Caputh Manse) confirmed that the mausoleum (used as a vault for the Delvine family) is the chancel of the church built c. 1500. He believes that the dedication was to St Andrew, but it is not generally known. There is no trace of the rest of the church, but some years ago he investigated an old vault which extended to the W from below the chancel. It was lined with tiles taken from the Roman camp at Inchtuthil, but is now cemented up and inaccessible.
The small building at NO 0828 4000 (probably a 19th c watch-house) bears the dates as described and is now used as a gardener's shed. The churchyard is still in use.
According to Mr Bell, the manse, at NO 0830 3975, dates from the early 15th c and footings of earlier buildings were recently exposed during renovations, but are now covered over again.
Visited by OS (ISS) 11 October 1973
Photographic Survey (1986)
Recording of gravestones in the churchyard of Caputh Old Parish Church, by Mrs Betty Willsher in 1986.
Field Visit (7 April 1989)
The medieval parish church of Caputh stood in the burial-ground on Mute Hill, where its site is indicated by a depression measuring 22m from E to W by 7.8m transversely. At the E end of the depression there is a 17th-century burial-vault, whose W wall incorporates a mock Romanesque chancelarch; a slit window in the S wall may have been inserted into an earlier window opening, and there are also traces of what may be the E side of another blocked opening to the E. A plaque inside the vault states that it was formerly part of the chancel of the church.
Within the burial-ground there are numerous 18th-century gravestones, and at least two of 17th-century date. One of the 17th-century stones (1668) lies immediately SW of the vault; the other (1640) lies immediately W of the depression.
The medieval church was built when the parish of Caputh was erected from Little Dunkeld by Bishop George Brown of Dunkeld (1484-1505/6), but in 1798 it was replaced by the present church (NO04SE 45) which stands 500m to the ENE (at NO 0881 4007).
Visited by RCAHMS (IMS) 7 April 1989.
Statistical Account (OSA) 1793; New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845; Hannay 1915; I B Cowan 1967; RCAHMS 1994.
