Carnwath, St Mary's Church
Burial Ground (16th Century) - (19th Century), Church (15th Century), Collegiate Church (14th Century)
Site Name Carnwath, St Mary's Church
Classification Burial Ground (16th Century) - (19th Century), Church (15th Century), Collegiate Church (14th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Carnwarth Cemetery; St Mary's Aisle
Canmore ID 47620
Site Number NS94NE 7
NGR NS 97542 46411
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/47620
- Council South Lanarkshire
- Parish Carnwath
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Clydesdale
- Former County Lanarkshire
NMRS REFERENCE:
NS94NE 7 97542 46411 St Mary's Church
NS94NE 45 9754 4641 Parish Church
(NS 9754 4641) St. Mary's Church (NR) (Remains of) : Aisle (NR)
OS 25" map (1859)
The former parish church, dedicated to St Mary (Name Book 1860) and founded in 1386, (New Statistical Account [NSA] 1845), consisted of chancel, nave and transept and the foundations could still be traced about 1860, showing that the church measured 100' by 20' internally.
The existing remains are part of the north transept which was added after the foundation of a Collegiate establishment for a provost and six prebendaries about 1425.
The church went out of use as a place of worship in 1799, when the present church was built, and was allowed to fall into decay, except for the north transept, which was used as a burial place for the local land owners, and was kept in repair and several new features added e.g. the belfrey on the south gable and the cross on the north gable. The north doorway under the large window is also an insertion, probably built of stones from the old doorway. The outline of the arch in the south gable, which formerly led from the transept into the church, can still be traced.
The interior contains a fine mid 16th century altar tomb, and there is an apparently older recumbent effigy in the churchyard.
A hospital (NS94SE 24) possibly associated with the Collegiate Church of Carnwath, may have existed at Spittal.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1897; D E Easson 1957; Orig Paroch Scot 1851
The north transept, as described, is all that remains of the collegiate church. There is no trace of the 14th century church. The effigy stands against the south wall of the grave yard, at NS 9753 4637.
Visited by OS (EGC) 9 January 1968
NMRS REFERENCE
St Mary's Church or St Mary's Aisle.
The remains of a church erected in the Early 15th Century by Thomas Lord Somerville.
EXTERNAL REFERENCE
The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, contains, among the 'Uncatalogued MSS of General Hutton' and numbered 61, in Vol I, is a sketch, in ink, dated 1800. Chambers says that a remaining fragment of the old Church of Carnwath has been used as a Sepulchral Aisle.
National Portrait Gallery. - Article and photograph
'Glasgow and Lanarkshire Illustrated'
1910, Cat 1935, C/July 1946, p.130
- 1 postcard
The remains of the former parish church, dedicated to St Mary's and founded in 1386, originally consisting of a chancel, nave and transept. The existing remains are part of the north transept which was added after the foundation of a Collegiate establishment for a provost and six prebendaries about 1425.
The church went out of worship in 1799, when the present church was built. The north transept was used as a burial place for local landowners and several new features were added, such as the the belfy on the south gable and the cross on the north gable. The north doorway under the large window is also an insertion, probably built of stones from the old doorway. The outline of an arch in the south gable, which formerly led from the transept into the church can still be traced. The interior contains a fine mid 16th century altar tomb and there is an apparently older recumbent effigy in the churchyard. (RCAHMS)
