Crombie Old Parish Church

Church, Craigflower Estate, Torryburn.

This ruin, situated on an eminence overlooking Torry Bay, about midway between Torryburn and Crombie Point, was the parish church of Crombie before the parishes of Crombie and Torry were united in the parish of Torryburn at some date prior to 1623 (1); it is now the burial place of the family of Colville of Ochiltree. Oblong on plan, it measures 46 feet in length and 14 ½ feet in breadth internally. The east gable, 2 feet 10 inches in thickness, rises to a height of 9 feet and contains the remains of triple lancet-windows which suggest a 13th century date. Beneath the southern light a small aumbry has been inserted. The west gable rises higher but is overgrown with ivy. The north wall, in which is the present entrance, has been rebuilt for its entire length, as a dike, on the old foundations. The south wall is partially rebuilt, and on its inner face can be seen two openings, now filled in, of which that slightly to the east of the middle has probably been a door.

ARMORIAL PANEL. - Inserted on the inside of the south wall of the church-near the east end, is a stone, probably part of a triangular pediment, bearing a shield parted per pale: dexter, a fess checky between two crosses moline, all within a bordure engrailed; sinister, a fess checky, in chief a mullet and the base undy, all within a bordure engrailed. Above the shield are the initials R.C. and M.L. for Robert Colville of Cleish and Margaret Lindsay of Dowhill.

TOMBSTONES.

(1) A slab, 6t feet long, 3 feet 1 inch wide and 6 inches thick, is now lying against the inside of the west gable. Round the margin is the inscription: HEI[R LYES] DOCT/OR [DAV]ID . PHILP . LAIRD . OF . KIPPO . / MEDICINER / WHO . DECSIT . (sic) . THE . 6 . OF . IANAVAR (sic), and in the upper part of the space thus enclosed the continuation, 1640 / AND . OF / HIS AGE / 71 ZEIR. In the middle are the initials D. /D.P. outside a shield, which bears an upturned hand holding in the palm a stemmed medicine-vessel, in chief three pills, all symbolical of the deceased's profession.

(2) A portion of a slab lies on the inner sill of the northmost light of the east window. It has a rebated margin, and on the face is cut in low relief the head of a cross, probably of I4thcenturydate. Within a circle, eight arms radiate from the centre and pass under a small ring to terminate in cinquefoiled ends, which touch a second and larger ring. The stone appears to have narrowed towards the foot.

(3) A large grave-stone, measuring 6 ½ feet long by 3 2/3 feet broad, broken at one corner and fractured at another, lies against the east gable inside the church. It is probably a 17th-century slab, but the date, with much of the Latin inscription with which it has been completely covered, is now illegible. The inscription appears to commemorate the excellencies of a Robert Colvin or Colville.

Stat. Acct., viii, p. 448.

RCAHMS 1933, visited 30 March 1928.

A plain, rectangular building, with much of its north, south and west walls having been rebuilt. Two of the lancet windows in the east gable have been obscured on the outside by a large memorial stone. The interior of the Church has been used as a burial vault.

Visited by OS (J L D) 1 July 1953.

NT08NW 5 02826 85538

(NT 0282 8554) Church (NR) (In Ruins)

OS 6" map, (1946)

Church, Craigflower Estate, Torryburn. This ruin was the parish church of Crombie before the parishes of Crombie and Torry were united in the parish of Torryburn at some date prior to 1623. It is now the burial place of the family of Colville of Ochiltree. Oblong on plan, it measure 46 feet in length and 14 1/2 feet in breadth internally. The east gable, 9 feet high, contains the remains of triple lancet-windows which suggest a 13th century date. The north wall, containing the present entrance has been rebuilt as a dyke on the old foundations. The south wall has been partially rebuilt.

Information from OS c1953.

Sources: RCAHMS 1933, visited 1928; H Scott (Fasti Eccles Scot) 1915-61.

Recording of gravestones in the churchyard of Crombie Old Parish Church by Mrs Betty Willsher in 1986.

Photographs taken by S Farrell in May 1998 show that the remains of the lancet windows have collapsed.

NMRS Photograph D 56022.