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.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM5678_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600011576)

Summary

Description

The monument consists of the remains of the old parish church and burial ground of Gamrie. The dedication is to St John the Evangelist.

The church, said to have been founded in AD 1004, was granted by William the Lion to Arbroath Abbey between 1189 and 1198. The church, located in its rubble-walled graveyard, is situated on the E side of Gamrie Bay overlooking the village of Gardenstown. The present

building, thought to have been built in the 16th century, is likely to overlie an older church and may incorporate re-used material.

The narrow rectangular building measures 29.4m E-W by 6.65m N-S, over walls c.0.8m thick. Its random-rubble walls, repointed in 1961, stand to roof height. The church has been built in two phases: an extension to the W greatly increased the length and the E end was probably heightened at the same time. The E gable has a set-off at the level

of what was presumably the original height. Most of the openings are blocked; the dressings and some of the quoin stones are of friable red sandstone.

There have been five entrances in all: one in each

gable; one in the N wall; and two in the S wall which are the only ones to remain un-blocked. That near the E end has a hole for a sliding bar. The windows are mostly in the S wall, are irregularly spaced, and are square-headed of various sizes. A round-headed sacrament house with eroded sandstone mouldings lies to the N of the blocked entrance in the E gable.

On the other side is a blind niche above a mural memorial to the Barclay of Tolly family dating from the 16th century. The graveyard and the interior of the church have tomb- stones of 17th and 18th-century date. The area to be scheduled is irregular, measuring a maximum of 40m E-W

by 45m N-S, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as an example of a late medieval church which is the last of a probable series of churches built on a site which has been in use as a focus of Christian worship since the twelfth century and possibly earlier. As such it provides evidence and has the potential to provide further evidence, through excavation, for ecclesiastical architecture, social analysis of burials, material culture and parish organisation in medieval Scotland.

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.