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Leslie, Greenside, Christ's Kirk On The Green
Church (19th Century), Sundial (Post Medieval)
Site Name Leslie, Greenside, Christ's Kirk On The Green
Classification Church (19th Century), Sundial (Post Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) 1-11 Greenside Court
Canmore ID 81455
Site Number NO20SE 54
NGR NO 25581 02048
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/81455
- Council Fife
- Parish Leslie (Kirkcaldy)
- Former Region Fife
- Former District Kirkcaldy
- Former County Fife
NO20SE 54.00 25581 02048
NO20SE 54.01 NO 25582 02095 Churchyard with Lych Gate
NO20SE 54.02 NO 25597 02090 Rothes Vault
NO20SE 54.03 NO 25590 02088 Douglas Vault
For earlier church, see NO20SE 14.
An assessment was carried out (by Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust) in advance of a proposal to convert the church into residential flats.
Trial work revealed the extent of the 1820 T-plan church as well as the precinct wall of the graveyard that runs E to W across the middle of the church. To the N of the graveyard wall, the remains of at least four complete burials were found together with much disturbed skeletal material. Although medieval pottery was recovered from the graveyard soil, shroud pins associated with the graves suggest a 17th or 18th-century date for some of these burials. These were left in situ and probably seal earlier medieval burials.
Sponsor: Fraser Gray Contracts.
R Coleman 1993b.
NO 255 020 An excavation was undertaken by SUAT in advance of the conversion of the interior of the church into flats. An initial assessment in 1993 (supra) suggested graveyard soil containing undisturbed burials lay within the church walls; this was confirmed by a series of small test pits. This trial work also established the southern limit of the 1820 church, and the southern limit of the graveyard soil. The graveyard soil within the church was excavated in March and April 1994, primarily to record and remove human remains.
Five dwarf walls, regularly spaced, ran E-W across the church, acting as supports for the wooden floor. These were founded 0.30m-0.40m deep in the graveyard soil, and disturbed many burials near the surface.
Forty-one complete and incomplete articulated skeletons were recovered from the graveyard soil. These fell into three distinct groups: 19 simple shroud burials aligned E-W, twelve coffin burials aligned E-W, and a further ten coffin burials aligned NW-SE. All the coffin burials were located at a greater depth than the poorly-preserved, simple shroud burials.
The excavations produced an artefact assemblage directly associated with the burials. This includes copper alloy pins, a majority of which appear to have functioned as shroud pins, iron coffin nails and handles. Small quantities of glass and pottery were recovered from the graveyard soil.
Sponsor: Fraser Gray Contracts Ltd.
C Falconer and A Cox 1994.
Field Visit (10 June 1928)
Leslie Church.
(1) ROTHES VAULT. The church is modern, but detached from it on the north is the Rothes burial-vault, a featureless 17th-century oblong structure built of rubble. The gables are crow-stepped, and the steps on the south have been renewed. In the north gable a door and window can be traced, though built up.
(2) ARMORIAL PEDIMENT. A triangular pediment is built into the west boundary wall of the churchyard. Flanked by a flat-iron and shears, and surmounting the initials and date I.B.1636 M.L., is a scrolled cartouche parted perpale: dexter, a chevron between three fleurs-de-lis, for Broun of Fordell; sinister, a fess cheeky and three mullets in chief, for Lindsay.
(3) SUNDIAL. A plain 17th- or early 18thcentury tabular dial has been built as rubble into the north-east angle of the church.
RCAHMS 1933, visited 10 June 1928.
