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Dundee, City Square, St Clement's Church And Graveyard
Burial Ground (Medieval), Church (Medieval)
Site Name Dundee, City Square, St Clement's Church And Graveyard
Classification Burial Ground (Medieval), Church (Medieval)
Canmore ID 33508
Site Number NO43SW 49
NGR NO 4033 3021
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/33508
- Council Dundee, City Of
- Parish Dundee (Dundee, City Of)
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District City Of Dundee
- Former County Angus
NO43SW 49 4033 3021
(NO 4033 3021) Site of St Clement's Church and Graveyard (NR)
OS 1:500 plan, Dundee, Forfarshire, (1870)
St Clement's Church was very small, measuring roughly 42' E-W by c. 18 1/2'. The arched roof was supported by a line of pillars formed of light clustered shafts. The manse, which also remained nearly entire till recently, stood a little to the SE, adjoining the Old Grammar School (NO43SW 50). It was a massive building of three storeys, and a projecting turnpike stair. The churchyard, which extended over the slope from the Marketgate to the Haven, and from Tyndal's Wynd westward to where Crichton Street is now, was the only common burial place within the old burgh until Queen Mary, in 1564, granted the Greyfriars Yard for the purpose, after which St Clement's ceased to be used.
A Maxwell 1891.
The church dedicated to St Clement martyr stood nearly on the site of the present Town House. The date of its foundation is not known. When buildings on the site were removed in 1872, relics of the old church were discovered, amongst them being the bases of some clustered pillars, two piscinae, the capital of a pillar bearing the initials of Andrew Abercrombie, Provost in 1513, and sculptured tablets with the arms of James I of Scotland. The church fabric of St Clement's must have been destroyed at the siege of Dundee in 1547; and in 1558 it is certain that the building was unroofed and ruinous.
A C Lamb 1895.
Site occupied by City Square.
Visited by OS (J L D), 17 April 1958.
Publication Account (1988)
The churchyard is mentioned in property transactions from the 15th century onwards (Lamb, 1895, xxxive). It extended from the High Street frontage, southwards to the north frontage of Castle Lane (OS 25" 1862, LIV, 9), east to Tendalls Wynd and west to end along the line of the present Chrichton Street (area NO 403 301). Beatts (1878, 190) claimed in the late 19th century that part of the north wall which had enclosed the cemetery was still standing, and was to be seen, with copestones entire and including a gate pier, forming part of the south wall of the tenement of land fronting the High Street immediately to the east of the entrance to St Clement's Lane (area NO 403 302). The water limit of the burial-ground was identified in 1827 in the course of laying foundations for a building on the east side of Chrichton Street, At this time, a large quantity of bones were uncovered, together with two graves lined with flags (Thomson, 1830, 26). The east side of the burial-ground was delimited by Tendall's Wynd, and the south boundary was marked by the chaplainry of St Andrew Apostle (NO 4037 3022) and the manse of St Clement (NO 4036 3020).
The majority of 16th - to 18th-century buildings occupying The Vault appear to have possessed basement or cellar areas. This is true of both the grammar school and the tolbooths. The ground rose steeply from erstwhile Castle Lane, north-west to High Street and photographic sources (untitled album of photographs, Dundee City Archive Dept nos 8 (south-east end of Vault/Castle Lane) 5/6, (east corner of Town House from St Clement's Lane) indicate that properties fronting Chrichton Street, Castle Street and Tendalls Wynd were cut into this rising ground on the north, east and west sides. Deposits must have suffered considerable disturbance, therefore, at a comparatively early date. More recently (1914-1925) extensive redevelopment has taken place in the area delimited by High Street, Chrichton Street, Castle Street and Shore Terrace. Although construction of Caird Hall appears to have caused minimal disturbance to underlying deposits, the construction of an underground garage now beneath beneath City Square, on the site of The Vault and St Clements Lane necessitated substantial excavation of the rising ground described above to the present south frontage on High Street. Similarly, the contruction of the east and west wings of Caird Hall, flanking the square, has brought about renewed disturbance of deposits. All have extensive cellarage, and are cut into the slope.
The creation of City Square and its associated buildings, has totally destroyed the site of St Clement's Church and Yard.
Information from ‘Historic Dundee: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1988).
External Reference
Teeth and unspecified remains in the foundations of the Caird Hall. Also non-human skeletal remains and teeth and 4 oyster shells. Probably associated with St Clement's Kirk.
Information from Stevenson and Torrie
