Documents

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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.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM10831_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013784)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises the remains of Maryculter Chapel and burial ground, which is also known as the Old Parish Kirk of Maryculter. The monument consists of the fragmentary remains of a medieval chapel and a walled burial-ground, sitting within the the grounds of Maryculter House, close to the E bank of the River Dee.

The church is believed to have been associated with a house of the Knights Templar, founded by Walter Byset between 1221 and 1236 at Maryculter. In 1287 a controversy with the abbey of Kelso, which held the parish church of Culter (Peterculter), regarding the newly-built chapel of the Knights, was settled on 4 November 1287.

When the Order was suppressed in 1309 the foundation passed to the Knights Hospitallers: in 1513 the house was described as 'recently annexed' to the Commandery of Torphichen. It is also recorded that the Hospitallers held the barony of Maryculter and the parish church of Maryculter, suggesting that chapel may have become parochial by the 16th century.

The remains of the church are very fragmentary and consist of a single chambered oblong structure measuring 23m by 6.6m within walls 0.7 in thickness, and now reduced to their lower courses. A piscina comprising a fluted bowl supported by a shaft that rises from a water-holding base is incorporated in the S wall at the E end.

Its details suggest a 13th century date, tying in well to the documentary evidence of a new chapel constructed in about 1287. There are a number of fragments of mouldings situated in this area of the chapel. The chapel sits within a polygonal walled burial ground, the entrance to which re-uses the arch of a medieval doorway.

The area to be scheduled includes the remains of the chapel, the burial ground and the enclosing wall. The area is irregular in shape and is defined by the boundary wall of the burial ground. The area has maximum dimensions of 65m NW-SE and 56m transversely as marked in red on the attached map. All modern burial lairs still in use, within and outwith the church, are excluded from the scheduling.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as the remains of a major Templar Preceptory, of which there were only two in Scotland: Temple and Maryculter. Although limited, the documentary evidence associated with the monument adds to its importance as it provides a construction date for the remains.

Unlike the church at Temple, the majority of which appears to date to the 14th century and hence to the ownership of the Hospitallers, the remains of chapel at Maryculter appear to date to the period when it was held by Templars.

The monument is also important as the associated documentary evidence illustrates the consequences of the suppression of the Templars in Scotland, with the wholesale appropriation of the Templars' preceptories and lands by the Knights Hospitaller.

References

Bibliography

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.