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St Abb's Head, Kirk Hill
Church (Medieval), Monastery (Medieval)(Possible)
Site Name St Abb's Head, Kirk Hill
Classification Church (Medieval), Monastery (Medieval)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) St Abb's Kirk
Canmore ID 60173
Site Number NT96NW 5
NGR NT 91669 68778
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/60173
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Coldingham
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Berwickshire
- Former County Berwickshire
NT96NW 5 9166 6877
See also:
NT96NW 8 NT 901 663 'Coldingham stone'
NT96NW 17 NT 916 687 Monastic Settlement
NT96NW 141 NT 9163 6875 Building
(NT 9166 6877) St Abb's Kirk (NR) (remains of)
OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)
The remains of St Abb's Kirk, now reduced to its wall-footings, lie within a rectangular burial ground bounded by a low, turf-covered bank, 0.4m high on three sides, but completely gone on the cliff side.
About 25m WSW of the church there is a possible rectangular building-platform measuring 12m by 5m (possibly NT96NW 141).
Visited by OS (JLD) 3 November 1954
The RCAHMS gives the dimensions of the church as a nave, 56ft by 30ft, and chancel 21ft by 24ft, externally.
RCAHMS 1915
160m to the S of the church there is a roughly oval depression which may represent the site of another building. It is possible that this is the site of the 7th century monastery of St Ebba, traditionally located upon a neighbouring promontory (see NT96NW 6 and NT96NW 17 ).
Surveyed at 1:2500
Visited by OS (RD) 8 March 1966
The church is recorded in 1372, but may have been built before that date; a 'semicircular arch' was pulled down about 1800.
RCAHMS 1980, visited 1979; A A Carr 1836; NSA 1845; J C Langland 1863; J Stuart 1868; J Ferguson 1892; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1896; A Thomson 1908; I B Cowan and D E Easson 1976; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1932
Limited excavations were carried out here in an attempt to locate the early fortification implied in the 7th century place name Colodaesburg. At Kirk Hill a cliff-edge site of some 3 ha. had been enclosed by either a double palisade or two successive palisades. This was overlaid by a massive turf rampart, with a footing of dressed blocks. There were no closely datable stratified finds, but a terminus post quem is given for the inner palisade by a calibrated Carbon-14 date of 630-770 AD. This may imply an Anglian construction, but in a British tradition. The turf rampart is later still, and may be the monastic vallum of St Aebbe's monastery.
L and E A Alcock 1980
The remains of St Abb's Kirk, reduced to low wall-footings are within a rectangular burial ground bounded on three sides by a low bank and on the forth by the cliff edge. The church was recorded in 1372 but may have been built before that. It was thought possible that this was the site of the 7th century monastery of St Ebba (see NT96NW 6 and NT96NW 17 ). This site is as described, there are a few stones of the church showing through the grass. It is not exposed to marine erosion, but rabbits are present. As this site is off the main tourist route there is no damage from erosion of paths.
Site recorded by GUARD during the Coastal Assessment Survey for Historic Scotland, 'The Firth of Forth from Dunbar to the Coast of Fife' 10th March 1996.
NT 87 70 to NT 91 67 An archaeological survey was undertaken by Headland Archaeology Ltd of land owned by the National Trust for Scotland at St Abb's Head, Lumsdaine Shore and Blackpotts.
A total of 18 features, or groups of features, of archaeological and historical interest were recorded, ten already documented, at least in part, in NMRS records.
NT 9161 6874 Monastic settlement, church (NT96NW 5; 9; 17)
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, National Trust for Scotland
S Carter 1997.
NT 9161 6874 As part of the survey conducted by Headland Archaeology Ltd on behalf of the National Trust for Scotland on its land at and near St Abb's Head, mentioned above (S Carter 1997), this site was examined and recorded. The report says the site is as previously described. The visible remains comprise a bank running around the landward edge of the hill top, the remains of the church set within a rectangular enclosure on the cliff edge and up to four other rectangular structures of uncertain date. Cultivation rigs are visible on the NW part of the site, these are part of the more extensive cultivation of the Kirk Hill mapped in 1782 (Plan of Northfield, Scottish Record Office, RHP 43284). The hill top is covered with grass that is grazed very close towards the cliff top. Most of the interior of the monastic enclosure is undistrurbed although moles are clearly present. The enclosure around the church is stable apart for one section of the N side which has been heavily burrowed by rabbits. The church itself is stable apart from one closely grazed area on the N side where there is a concentration of rabbit scrapes. The monastic enclosure bank that surrounds the site is seriously affected by burrowing rabbits, there is evidence for significant loss of sediment from the bank. This situation was noticed by Alcocks in the 1980's and may be increasing. The report puts forward two possible solutions of the problems:
1) Permanent total exclusion and eradication of rabbits from the enclosure, followed by repair of the the damage to the bank
2) Significant reduction of the rabbit population on the headland as a whole to stop any further spread of the damage, supported by selective archaeological excavation of the bank to increase understanding of this structure before further loss of information.
Continued monitoring of the mole activity is also recommended.
Sponsor: National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland
NMRS MS/899/44 (Headland Archaeology Ltd. 16/10/1997)
Field Visit (20 August 1908)
75. St Abb's Kirk, Kirk Hill, St Abb's Head.
This ruin is situated on the Kirk Hill, some 600 yards south-south-east of the lighthouse on St Abb's Head. The remains are very scanty, consisting only of grass-covered foundations with very little masonry visible, and indicating a structure with a chancel narrower than the nave. Length of nave (external dimensions) 56 feet, width 30 feet; length of chancel from east to west about 21 feet, width about 24 feet. The foundations of the enclosing wall of the graveyard within which the church was situated are still visible.
See Eccles. Arch., i. p. 437 (plan); Carr's Coldingham, p. 243; Ber. Nat. Club, 1863-68; p. 207, 1890-91, p. 116.
RCAHMS 1915, visited 20th August 1908.
OS Map: Ber., v. NE. and vi. NW.
Excavation (1980)
In 1980, a single trench 19.0m long was cut across the NW sector of the rampart and ditch. As a result of this, Prof Alcock infers that the level ground had been cultivated during the Roman period (a sherd of Samian pottery, probably datable to the mid 2nd century, and several glass beads, including a silver-in-glass segmented example were among the finds). A double palisade was then constructed of oak beams, with a wicker infill. This was subsequently overlaid by a turf-cored rampart 8.0m wide and over 3.0m high. Stone revetments were later added to this at two levels. Radiocarbon age estimates from the wickerwork of the palisade give a calibrated date of 630 - 770 AD. It seems highly likely that this was a secular fortification -hence the 'burg' name - built shortly before the founding of the monastery.
The turf rampart could be the monastic vallum of that foundation.
L Alcock and E A Alcock 1980; L Alcock 1981.
Field Visit (16 October 1997)
NT 9161 6874 As part of the survey conducted by Headland Archaeology Ltd on behalf of the National Trust for Scotland on its land at and near St Abb's Head, mentioned above (S Carter 1997), this site was examined and recorded. The report says the site is as previously described. The visible remains comprise a bank running around the landward edge of the hill top, the remains of the church set within a rectangular enclosure on the cliff edge and up to four other rectangular structures of uncertain date. Cultivation rigs are visible on the NW part of the site, these are part of the more extensive cultivation of the Kirk Hill mapped in 1782 (Plan of Northfield, Scottish Record Office, RHP 43284). The hill top is covered with grass that is grazed very close towards the cliff top. Most of the interior of the monastic enclosure is undistrurbed although moles are clearly present. The enclosure around the church is stable apart for one section of the N side which has been heavily burrowed by rabbits. The church itself is stable apart from one closely grazed area on the N side where there is a concentration of rabbit scrapes. The monastic enclosure bank that surrounds the site is seriously affected by burrowing rabbits, there is evidence for significant loss of sediment from the bank. This situation was noticed by Alcocks in the 1980's and may be increasing. The report puts forward two possible solutions of the problems:
1) Permanent total exclusion and eradication of rabbits from the enclosure, followed by repair of the the damage to the bank
2) Significant reduction of the rabbit population on the headland as a whole to stop any further spread of the damage, supported by selective archaeological excavation of the bank to increase understanding of this structure before further loss of information.
Continued monitoring of the mole activity is also recommended.
Sponsor: National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland
NMRS MS/899/44 (Headland Archaeology Ltd. 16/10/1997)
Resistivity (18 April 2011 - 19 April 2011)
An earth resistance survey was carried out on Kirk Hill by the Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society (EAFS) on 18th and 19th April 2011 (Rhodes 2011). An area around the church, its rectangular enclosure and a nearby rectangular building were targeted.
EAFS used a TR/CIA meter to collect data at a probe separation of 0.5m with readings collected at a sample interval of 1m along transects spaced 1m apart over grids measuring 20m x 20m. They downloaded the data using a program called “Resistivity” and processed the data using the free software “Snuffler”. The quality of data collected was high and revealed the remains of the Kirk and its enclosure boundary as high resistance anomalies with the rectangular building also showing higher values. The layout of the Kirk was suggested to be more complex than first thought and some additional anomalies of possible archaeological interest were identified to the north of this building.
Report: RCAHMS, Scottish Borders Council and the National Trust for Scotland
Funder: EAFS; Hunter Archaeological and Historical Trust
Edinburgh Archaeological Field Survey, 2011
Project (13 December 2011 - 14 December 2011)
A detailed gradiometer and earth resistance survey was conducted over the site of Kirk Hill, St Abb’s Head, Berwickshire. The site has previously been identified as the location of an enclosed medieval church. To the west of the church and its rectangular enclosure a larger ‘C’ shaped bank incorporates the church, its enclosure and a number of possible structures. This site has tentatively been identified as the location of St Æbbe’s monastery mentioned by Bede.
The gradiometer survey covered approximately 1.75ha and demonstrated the presence of extensive archaeological features within the ‘C’ shaped enclosure. The earth resistance survey covered 0.43ha and identified anomalies of archaeological interest.
The medieval church and its accompanying rectangular enclosure were identified in both the earth resistance and gradiometer data. A rectangular stone building was identified to the west of the enclosure and another possible structure was identified to its north in the gradiometer data. A number of linear anomalies were identified in the southern portion of the gradiometer survey area; putatively identified as boundaries with two possible structures constructed against them.
Resistivity (13 December 2011 - 14 December 2011)
An earth resistance survey was conducted over the site of Kirk Hill, St Abb’s Head, Berwickshire. The earth resistance survey covered 0.43ha and identified anomalies of archaeological interest.
Magnetometry (13 December 2011 - 14 December 2011)
A detailed gradiometer survey was conducted over the site of Kirk Hill, St Abb’s Head, Berwickshire. The gradiometer survey covered approximately 1.75ha and demonstrated the presence of extensive archaeological features within the ‘C’ shaped enclosure.
Excavation (13 March 2013 - 24 March 2013)
NT 91669 68778 A topographic survey and excavation were carried out, 13–24 March 2013, to test the findings of a geophysical survey carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 2012, and to establish the nature and date of the collapsed Kirk on the coastal cliff. None of the geophysical anomalies examined were of archaeological significance. However, artefacts (a small metal pin and ceramic fragments) recovered from a trench through the southern wall of the Kirk date to the 13th to 16th centuries; suggesting an association with the nearby Coldingham Priory.
Archive: The National Trust for Scotland and RCAHMS (intended)
Funder: National Trust for Scotland
Daniel Rhodes, The National Trust for Scotland, 2013
(Source: DES)
Sbc Note
Visibility: This is an upstanding earthwork or monument.
Information from Scottish Borders Council
