Glamis, Kirkwynd, St Fergus's Church, Strathmore Aisle

See also notes for Glamis, Kirkwynd, St Fergus's Church.

NOTES:

Glamis Church, built in 1793, stands against the medieval S transept of St. Fergus's Church the remainder of which was removed then, the new church being built on its site, possibly incorporating part of the old foundations as remains of arches may be seen at the base of the church wall between the vestry and the date.

The transept, built c. 1459, measures 35' 4" by 26'7", and is now used as the burial vault of the Earls of Strathmore.

A fragment of a Celtic sculptured cross, now lying in the churchyard was found in a grave some years ago. It bears part of a Celtic cross and some interlaced design (J Stirton 1911) There is no record, however, of any Celtic building having stood at Glamis, though it is known that there was such a place. The church was granted to Arbroath Abbey in the 12th century, and dedicated in 1242.

St. Fergus's Well is a spring, a little below the church, and near it once stood St. Fergus's Cave (J MacKinlay 1914).

A J Warden 1880-5; J MacKinlay 1914; J Stirton 1911; 1913; G B Mitchell 1935; G Hay 1957.

The transept, a small rectangular building of ashlar construction, measuring 9.0m x 8.0m is still the burial vault of the Earls of Strathmore. It is roofed and has a modern window and doorway in the south wall (where the date '1742' appears on the back of the door) and a sundial which bears the date '1771'. Although the building is believed to date from the 15th century it appears to be, externally, no earlier than the 17th century.

No information was found regarding the Early Christian cross-slab mentioned by Stirton which is now lost. St. Fergus's Well at NO 3865 4696 is a natural spring.

Visited by OS (W D J) 16 December 1969.

All that remains standing of the medieval parish church of Glamis is the 15th century S transept, the remainder having been taken down in 1792 when the present church was built. The burial-ground may formerly have been larger, and 'relics of burials' have been found near the gate of the Manse (to the W of the church) and beneath the road that runs between the church and the Manse.

A Class II Pictish cross-slab stands in the Manse garden (NO34NE 2), where there are also part of a cross-slab which was found in the burial-ground some years before 1911 (NO34NE 16.1), a fragment of a stone bearing a 'concertina' symbol, and two medieval grave-slabs; a fragment of a Class II Pictish cross-slab found at Glamis in 1967 is now in the church (NO34NE 24). The church of Glamis is on record in 1178, but the site is probably that of an Early Christian foundation.

J Stirton 1911; 1913; G B Mitchell 1935; I B Cowan 1967; J D Boyd 1967; RCAHMS 1983; RCAHMS 1984.

Recorded by RCAHMS (Listed Building Recording Programme 2001).