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

  SM7705_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013145)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises the remains of Cupar's medieval church, its graveyard and traces of a surrounding oval enclosure, which lay outwith and to the north of the burgh. The monument was first scheduled on 10 March 1998 but the area included was subsequently deemed to be excessively large: the present re-scheduling rectifies this.

Dedicated to St Christopher, the church's patronage was granted to the Priory Church of St Andrews between 1154 and 1178. With the foundation of a new parish church in Cupar in 1415, the former church became known as the chaplainry of St Christopher 'in the old cemetery of Cupar'. The latter was feued in 1569, suggesting that neither the church nor the burial ground were in use by this date.

Despite partial demolition of the church in 1769, geophysical prospection and limited excavation (in 1997) identified the remains of a building measuring 20m by 6m with a flagged floor and rounded east end, with a graveyard to the south in which in situ burials were located. An extension to the main building at the west end may represent a side chapel or porch. The complex appears to have been surrounded by an oval enclosure, suggesting that the origins of the site may lie in the early medieval period.

The area now to be scheduled is an irregular quadrilateral in shape measuring 70m NW-SE by 100m NE-SW, to include the remains of the church and graveyard and traces of the oval enclosure, plus an area around these features within which associated remains are likely to survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as the remains of the parish church of a historic burgh which has the potential to add to our knowledge of ecclesiastical architecture and to our understanding of religious practice over several centuries.

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.