Scheduled Monument
Dalton, old parish churchSM8676
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
- 10/03/2000
- Supplementary Information Updated
- 14/08/2015
- Type
- Ecclesiastical: church
- Local Authority
- Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish
- Dalton
- NGR
- NY 11426 73979
- Coordinates
- 311426, 573979
Description
The monument consists of the remains of Dalton old parish church, alternatively known as Mickle Dalton, Dalton Magna and Meikle Dalton, which is situated on rising ground 40m to the SE of the present parish church of Dalton, which was built in 1895. The parish and church of Meikle Dalton are first documented in 1552 when the patronage of the church passed from Gilbert Grierson of Dalton to Lindsay of Barcloy.
The monument comprises the remains of a post-reformation kirk erected in 1704. It is oblong on plan, measuring 16.6m by 6.4m internally. Its N side and E and W ends are built on the base of the walls of an earlier, probably medieval church. This is shown by a massive plinth or base-course with a plain chamfer, which extends all along the N side of the church, except where it has been cut through for doorways.
The 18th century superstructure of the church is rubble-built and has fine detailing with square-headed windows and doors; their surrounds embellished with V-jointed rustication, which has been similarly applied to the angle quoins. The wall head is surmounted by a simple moulded cornice, fragmentary in places. There are at ground level two doorways in the N wall, which were later converted into windows, one in the E wall and one in the W, both later insertions. In the middle of the S, E and W walls are doorways at a higher level which gave access to galleries. The W gable is surmounted by a birdcage bellcote.
The area to be scheduled includes the church and an area around it, in which associated archaeology can be expected to be found. The area is a rectangle with maximum dimensions of 40m NE-SW and 30m transversely as marked in red on the attached map. All modern burial lairs still in use, within and without the church, are excluded from the scheduling.
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.
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