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Kirkmaiden, Old Church And Churchyard

Burial Ground (Medieval), Chapel (Medieval)(Possible), Church (Medieval), Cross Slab(S) (Early Medieval)

Site Name Kirkmaiden, Old Church And Churchyard

Classification Burial Ground (Medieval), Chapel (Medieval)(Possible), Church (Medieval), Cross Slab(S) (Early Medieval)

Canmore ID 62660

Site Number NX33NE 1

NGR NX 36557 39968

NGR Description Centred NX 36557 39968

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/62660

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council Dumfries And Galloway
  • Parish Glasserton
  • Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
  • Former District Wigtown
  • Former County Wigtownshire

Archaeology Notes

NX33NE 1 centred 36557 39968

Kirkmaiden began as a Dark Ages enclosed cemetery site with a chapel (C Thomas 1971) dedicated to St Medana (W J Watson 1926). It underwent extensive medieval alteration, MacGibbon and Ross dating the extant church as Norman, though the RCAHMS consider that the existing distinctive features are too scanty to date accurately.

It has consisted of a nave and chancel, with an aisle on the N, and possibly another on the S, now only represented by a mound. The walls of the nave and chancel stand almost to gable height. In the S wall of the nave are two round-headed windows and a doorway, which have been restored along their original lines. The chancel, also restored, has been the burial ground of the Maxwells of Monreith, but is no longer in use. At the W end of the nave are the footings of a structure in which 10 skeletons were found, and from this springs the W wall of the cemetery. A 17th c. belfry said to have come from here, is now in use

at Glasserton parish church.

There are 3 10th-11th century (W G Collingwood 1925) sculptured stones within a railed enclosure outside the church, one with a cross, and two with interlacing. A further 10-11th century cross-slab, found at the nearby Knock Farm (NX 370 399) in 1882 is in the NMAS - Accession no. IB 125

(J R Allen and J Anderson 1903).

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1896; RCAHMS 1912, visited 1911

The chapel is generally as described, although the N aisle has now been demolished. No indications of an early cemetery were found. The cross slab still lies within the railed enclosure, but the two interlaced slabs (one of which is broken) are inside, the restored chancel.

Revised at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (DWR) 1 February 1973.

Activities

Field Visit (7 July 1911)

Sculptured Crosses. Lying within a railed enclosure, outside the old church, are three sculptured stones –

(1) A slab (fig. 2 [SC 2170482]) 6' 2" in length, 1' 8" broad at the head, and diminishing to 1 ' 2" at the foot, bearing incised on its surface a cross with expanding arms contained within a circle, and set on a shaft resting upon a calvary. On the left side is a broadsword with a midrib, thin depressed quillons, a cylindrical grip, and a triangular or conical pommel set on a plate. The slab is broken in four pieces. (Unrecorded.)

(2) A broken fragment, the shaft of a cross (fig. 3 [SC 1223035, SC 1223036]), ornamented on both sides with a panel of interlaced ornament, in relief on the front, and incised on the back; with a projection from one end, which may have been the lower arm of the cross, sculptured on one face only, with an interlaced pattern in relief. Total length 3', breadth of shaft l ' 2". (Unrecorded. )

(3) A small square panel of interlaced ornament, surrounded by a bead moulding in relief (fig. 4, [SC 1223035]), measuring over all 2' 1" X 1' 4", described in The Early Christian Monuments of Scotland and the Sculptured Stones of Scotland.

Visited 7th July 1911.

Field Visit (18 July 1911)

Kirkmaiden.

The ruined church of Kirkmaiden is situated about 5 m. W. of Whithorn, within a picturesque old burying ground almost on the sea-shore. The building has apparently consisted of a simple rectangular nave and chancel, with projecting wings to the N. and S. The nave measures about 37' 6" X 18' 10", and the chancel 22' x 16' within the walls. The thickness of the W. wall of the nave is about 4', while that of the side walls is 3'. The only features to be noted are two round-headed windows (now built up) and a doorway, all in the S. wall of the nave. The windows were restored some years ago upon the original lines. The gables at both the E. and W. ends are still standing to almost their full height. The chancel has for generations been the burial-place of the Maxwells of Monreith. It has been restored, and no interments now take place within it. It is noticeable that while the N. walls of the nave and chancel are built in one straight line, the S. wall of the chancel is built about 3' 6" northwards from the face of the S. wall of the nave. There is a rough-arched opening (now built up) in the division wall between the nave and chancel. The in-goes appear to be square on plan, and the arch, which is pointed in form, is composed of thin, rough unhewn stones. On the N. side of the chancel is a wing or aisle projecting northwards about 13' 6", and measuring about 12' from E. to W. within the walls, which are 2' thick. Near the SE. angle of the nave is a grass-grown mound, which may indicate the foundations of a similar wing or aisle to the S. The ground on the N. side rises steeply, and, until recently, it is said to have been level with the existing height of the walls. The space within the walls .is now cleared out to a depth of about3', showing indications of a doorway at the SW. angle and an ambry at the E. end of the N. wall. A built-up arch, similar to the one described above, exists in the N. wall of the chancel, apparently at one time a means of access from the chancel to the N. wing. Indications of a building adjoining the nave on the W. may still be seen at the level of the ground in the churchyard. Its use cannot now be determined. This building forms the N. end of the retaining wall which encloses the burying-ground on the W. side.

A church has been known to exist upon the site from a remote period. In the burying-ground there is still proof of this in the mutilated fragments of ancient crosses, ornamented with designs of interlaced work. The nave of the existing building has been described as belonging to the Norman period, but the distinctive features are too scanty and the masonry too rude to allow of a definite statement as to its antiquity.

See Eccles. Arch., i. p. 383 (plan).

Visited 18th July 1911.

Note (1912)

Sculptured Cross-slab found at Knock.

The farm of Knock is situated near Monreith Bay, and close to Kirkmaiden. Here in 1882 was found what is apparently the upper part of a cross-slab of reddish sandstone, split lengthwise and otherwise mutilated. It measures 30" in length by 15" in breadth and 2" in thickness, and is sculptured with the outline of a cross having a boss in the centre, and circular hollows above and below the arms. The stone is now in the National Museum of Antiquities, Edinburgh.

See Early Christ. Mon., pt. iii. p. 495 (illus.).

O.S.M., WIGTOWN, xxxiv. NE.

RCAHMS 1912, No. 19

Note (20 March 2024)

A ruined church and burial ground is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (1850).

Information from HES (D Watson) 20 March 2024

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