Scheduled Monument

St Andrew's Kirk, Kirk Ports, North BerwickSM10351

Status: Designated

Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

Summary

Date Added
28/10/2002
Type
Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; church
Local Authority
East Lothian
Parish
North Berwick
NGR
NT 55352 85213
Coordinates
355352, 685213

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a rectangular roofless church of 17th-century date, with a late 18th-century tower, visible as an upstanding ruin, together with its graveyard. The monument lies at the junction of Law Road and Kirk Ports, North Berwick.

The building of this St Andrew's Kirk commenced in 1659 to replace the original 12th-century St Andrew's Kirk by the harbour, which was in ruins by 1656 (its E end had been washed away). The new kirk was built of stone from the old kirk and from the Law quarry. The design of the new kirk, which was completed by 1664, reflected the post-Reformation doctrine of the 'Priesthood of all Believers'. Initially it comprised a plain rectangular structure with the pulpit in the centre of the long side; this may have been a double pulpit for the minister and the precentor. Box-pews were erected for the heritors (the Burgh and proprietors of land within the parish), who were collectively responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the fabric of the kirk. A sundial bearing the date 1680 was added.

Later, the kirk was extended and extensively altered, this phase of works being completed by 1770. In its final form the kirk possessed four lofts, one at either end and a loft for each of the two major landed proprietors, the holders of the Barony of North Berwick (the Dalrymple family from 1694) and the Sutties (later the Grant-Sutties) of Balgone. Also added were porches for access stairways to the lofts and galleries, a session house and a central western tower. The tower was three storeys high and crowned with a bell-cast slated roof. Further alterations were carried out in 1819 when the interior (with the exception of the old seat of the Dalrymple family) was renewed. By now the kirk could accommodate some 500 people.

The graveyard was in use from 1664, although burials also continued in the old graveyard on Anchor Green, North Berwick. Amongst a number of significant graveslabs and memorials is a recumbent slab placed in the graveyard in 1821 to commemorate John Blackadder, the covenanting minister, who died in 1685 while imprisoned on the Bass Rock for his religious and political beliefs.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the kirk and its graveyard, within which related material may be expected to survive. It is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 118m E-W by 72m N-S, as marked in red on the accompanying map. The scheduled area is delimited by the rubble boundary wall of the graveyard, the upstanding parts of which are excluded from the scheduling to allow for routine maintenance. The scheduling also excludes any burial lairs for which burial rights still exist.

References

Bibliography

No Bibliography entries for this designation

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Images

There are no images available for this record, you may want to check Canmore for images relating to St Andrew's Kirk, Kirk Ports, North Berwick

There are no images available for this record.

Search Canmore

Printed: 29/03/2024 13:15