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Ulbster, St Martin's Burial Ground And Sinclair Mausoleum

Burial Ground (Period Unassigned), Chapel (Medieval), Mausoleum (18th Century)(Possible)

Site Name Ulbster, St Martin's Burial Ground And Sinclair Mausoleum

Classification Burial Ground (Period Unassigned), Chapel (Medieval), Mausoleum (18th Century)(Possible)

Alternative Name(s) St Martin's Chapel; Wic 204; Ulbster Sinclair Mausoleum And St Martin's Burial Ground With Gate Piers

Canmore ID 9031

Site Number ND34SW 28

NGR ND 33568 41857

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/9031

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

General view from south-east
General view from south-eastNorth facade, window with shutter openDetail of roof slatesDetail of flagstone inscribed XV on baseOblique aerial view centred on the farmstead and mausoleum, taken from the ENE.Ulbster, St Martin's Burial Ground And Sinclair Mausoleum, ND34SW 28, Ordnance Survey index card, page number 2, VersoGeneral view of Mausoleum and Mains of Ulbster farm from south-westView from north westStairway from south eastNorth facade, window with shutter closedDetail of roof from southGeneral view of interior from south-westDetail of flagstone inscribed XV on baseInterior view of roof structure from belowInterior view of roof structureRoof structure, interior detail of apexView of mausoleum and gate piersView of mausoleum, gate piers and burial groundGeneral view from north-westGeneral view from south-westView of north frontView of gate piers and mausoleumGeneral view from south-westGate piers and mausoleum from southDetail of complete roof from southInterior, north wall, windowInterior, north wall, blocked windowOblique aerial view centred on the farmsteading and mausoleum, taken from the SE.Wick (South) MapStairway from eastDetail of roof from southInterior, west wall, fireplaceInterior view of roof structure from belowInterior view of roof structureInterior view of roof structureInterior view of roof structureGeneral view from north-westView from south-westInterior, east wall, south windowInterior view of roof structureInterior view of roof structureGeneral view of Mausoleum and Mains of Ulbster farm from south-westOblique aerial view centred on the farmstead and mausoleum, taken from the ESE.Ulbster, Sinclair Mausoleum: Plan and sectionInterior, east wall, south windowInterior, north wall, windowGeneral view from south-eastView of north frontView from the north-westDetail of west gate pier from north-eastDetail of east gate pier from south-westView from south-eastDetail of roof from southInterior view of roof structureUlbster, Sinclair Mausoleum, view from north eastOblique aerial view centred on the farmstead and mausoleum, taken from the NW.Oblique aerial view centred on the farmsteading and mausoleum, taken from the SSE.Ulbster, St Martin's Burial Ground And Sinclair Mausoleum, ND34SW 28, Ordnance Survey index card, page number 1, RectoGeneral view of Mausoleum and Mains of Ulbster farm from south-westView from north westGeneral view from north-eastGeneral view from north-eastDoorway from south (closed)North facade, window with shutter closedInterior view of roof structure from below, Sinclair Mausoleum, UlbsterInterior view of roof structureOblique aerial view centred on the farmstead and mausoleum, taken from the W.Wick (South) MapMausoleumRoof structure, interior detail of wallheadDoorway from south (closed)North facade, window with shutter openInterior, east wall, south windowInterior, north wall, blocked windowInterior of doorway from north (showing gate piers beyond)General view from north-eastGeneral view from south-westView from south-eastGate piers and mausoleum from southDetail of gate piers, framing view of mausoleumView of mausoleumView of north frontStairway from northOblique aerial view centred on the farmstead and mausoleum, taken from the NE.Oblique aerial view centred on the farmstead and mausoleum, taken from the SW.General survey area plan.Doorway from south (slightly open)East facade, blocked centre window and inscribed panel below sillNorth facade, window with shutter openDetail of complete roof from southInterior view of roof structureRoof structure, interior detail of wallheadView from north-eastView of gate piers and mausoleumGeneral view of Sinclair Mausoleum, Ulbster, from north-westView from south-westView from south-westView from the north-westInterior of doorway from north (showing gate piers beyond)

First 100 images shown. See the Collections panel (below) for a link to all digital images.

Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Wick
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Caithness
  • Former County Caithness

Archaeology Notes

ND34SW 28 33568 41857

(ND 3356 4185) Mausoleum (NAT)

on site of St Martin's Chapel (NR)

OS 1:10,000 map, (1976).

See also ND16NW 13.

Although the RCAHMS (1911) confirms that the mausoleum, bearing the date '1700', occupies the site of St Martin's Chapel, both Oliphant (Macfarlane 1906-8) and Thomson (NSA 1845) maintain that the mausoleum is the converted remains of the chapel.

The Ulbster Stone (ND16NW 13), a cross slab with symbols, originally stood in a corner of the churchyard. It is now in Thurso Museum.

New Statistical Account (NSA, written by C Thomson - 1841) 1845; J Stuart 1856; W Macfarlane 1906-8; RCAHMS 1911.

The mausoleum is a 6.7m square building, harled and showing signs of recent repair. A weather vane on the top bears the date '1700'. Some of the stones in the building appear to be of very old date and may have come from the chapel. Otherwise, there are no extant remains of the chapel. The burial ground around the mausoleum is still in use.

There are no indications that the stones of the older chapel are incorporated in the newer building.

C E Batey 1981.

Architecture Notes

NOTES:

Although the RCAHMS (1911) confirms that the mausoleum, bearing the date '1700', occupies the site of St Martin's Chapel, both Oliphant (Macfarlane 1906-8) and Thomson (NSA 1845) maintain that the mausoleum is the converted remains of the chapel.

The Ulbster Stone (ND16NW 13), a cross slab with symbols, originally stood in a corner of the churchyard. It is now in Thurso Museum (ND16NW 69.2)

RCAHMS 1911; W Macfarlane 1906-8; NSA (written by C Thomson - 1841) 1845; J Stuart 1856.

The mausoleum is a 6.7m square building, harled and showing signs of recent repair. A weather vane on the top bears the date '1700'. Some of the stones in the building appear to be of very old date and may have come from the chapel. Otherwise, there are no extant remains of the chapel. The burial ground around the mausoleum is still in use.

C E Batey 1981.

There are no indications that the stones of the older chapel are incorporated in the newer building.

C E Batey 1981.

SURVEY:

This B-listed building was surveyed as part of the Listed Buildings Recording Programme (LBRP) for 1999-2000.

Situated on an area of rising ground some 400m north of the coast between Sellifar and Land Cove, and some 150m south of the deserted farmhouse of Mains of Ulbster, the Sinclair Mausoleum is reputed to stand on or near the site of a chapel (RCAHMS 1911, no. 596)

It stands square on plan and measures some 6.7m across each face. Its walls, which are some 3.6m in height from the floor to the wall-head, are constructed of harled rubble. To the south, the entrance front, there is a stone-constructed forestair, with nine steps, which rises approximately 2m from ground level. The building is covered with an ogee-shaped roof laid with Caithness slates. The roof structure consists of rough rafters (approx. 160 by 120 mm) set into the wall, braced by tie-beams at two principal levels, the uppermost supporting a king-post. At the corners there are further minor rafters.

There are two windows in the east wall and one in the north wall, all splayed to the interior. The north window in the east wall has been blocked. There is a fireplace with a stone bolection-moulded surround in the west wall, flanked by shallow square-headed aumbries. There is a deeper aumbry to the east end of the north wall. A recess in the external face of the east wall, which has an inscribed cill, is likely to have contained a family armorial. The inscription on the cill has been recorded as follows (RCAHMS 1911): THOU WHO DESIRES ANE HUMBLING/ SIGHT TO SEE COME IN BEHOLD/ WHAT THOU ERE LONG MUST BE.

The floor of the building is stone-flagged, with a slab, set in the middle of the east side of the floor, covering access to the burial vault. The had been sealed at time of survey, but its overall from can be deduced from the evidence of plans prepared by the Leet Rodgers Practice (architects) in 1995. These show that it has a low barrel vault with scarcements set at the springing-points.

There is a metal weather-vane of the apex of the roof which is pierced with the date '1700'. Although this date is not corroborated by any other evidence, this is a plausible date for the building of the mausoleum. Of interest as a vernacular version of late 17th- or early 18th-century sub-classicism, the gatepiers to the graveyard are worthy of note.

This structure was replaced by a mausoleum near Thurso Castle. This new mausoleum was built before 1800 by Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster on a site which he considered to be 'highly picturesque'. He believed it marked the site of an early chapel said to have been the burial-place of the Viking King Harold who Sinclair considered to have been his ancestor. A representation of the new mausoleum was published as the frontispiece to the twentieth volume of the OSA. (For information on the new mausoleum, see Cameron typescript 1999.)

REFERENCES:

Cameron, N M, Sir John Sinclair and the Architecture of Improvement, typescript of lecture given to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1999 (copy in NMRS).

OSA

Statistical Account of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1798.

References

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