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Muthill, Old Parish Church

Church (Medieval), Cross Slab (Early Medieval), Tower (12th Century)

Site Name Muthill, Old Parish Church

Classification Church (Medieval), Cross Slab (Early Medieval), Tower (12th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Muthill Old Church, Tower And Graveyard

Canmore ID 25308

Site Number NN81NE 3

NGR NN 86787 17072

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/25308

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Digital Images


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Administrative Areas

  • Council Perth And Kinross
  • Parish Muthill
  • Former Region Tayside
  • Former District Perth And Kinross
  • Former County Perthshire

Archaeology Notes

NN81NE 3.00 86787 17072

NN81NE 3.01 NN 8679 1704 archway

NN81NE 3.02 NN 86799 17058 Burial-ground

NN 8679 1706 Church (NR).

OS 6" map, (1958)

An important medieval parish church now in ruins. At its west end, embedded in the nave, is a tall Norman tower once free-standing, which partakes somewhat of a Celtic character. The nave and chancel belong mostly to the early 15th century. In the care of the MoW. There was a Culdee settlement here. (But see NN81NE4).

V G Childe and W D Simpson 1961.

'Muthill Old Church' (Information from MoW plaque). The church, abandoned in 1818, has an aisled nave and chancel with an earlier tower embedded in the west end of the nave. The nave and chancel were built in the earlier 15th century, possibly by Michael Ochiltree, Dean of Dunblane (some fragments may be earlier). The tower is the most important feature of the monument; it dates from the 12th century and is one of a small related group in Central Scotland. The others are preserved at Dunning, Dunblane, Markinch and St Andrews.

Visited by OS (R D) 19 May 1967.

Muthill (Dunblane) was granted to Lindores by Malise, son of Earl Ferteth of Strathearn (1195x99); the church was confirmed to the abbey by Pope Innocent III in 1199. Litigation broke out almost immediately between the bishop of Dunblane and the abbey, the former claiming the church as pertaining to his mense and the ensuing composition made by William, bishop of St Andrews (1211 x 14) was mainly in favour of the bishop, whose successors retained the parsonage, with one quarter of the vicarage, which may have been acquired as a result of a Papal bull of 1237. The residual fruits of the vicarage had been annexed as a prebend to the sub-chantership of Dunblane by the mid-fifteenth century.

I B Cowan 1967

Architecture Notes

Plans: Watercolour drawing for restoration of church by James Gillespie (Graham), dated 1824, preserved in Episcopal Church, Crieff. Shows design for Romanesque nave added to existing West Tower. Choir was to be demolished.

Ross sketch books MS 28/463/1/34 - 1 drawing tower & ailes.

NMRS REFERENCE

NMRS Printroom

W Schomberg Scott Photograph Collection Acc no 1997/39

View of the Tower.

Activities

Photographic Survey (1987)

Recording of gravestones in the churchyard of Muthill Old Parish Church by Mrs Betty Willsher in 1987.

Watching Brief (23 July 2013)

Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust commissioned Alder Archaeology Ltd to carry out a watching brief in advance of the installation of Caithness slabs under the gate swings at Muthill Old Church. Muthill Old Church and raveyard is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and therefore consent for this work has been granted by Historic Scotland. The archaeological conditions of this consent specify that a watching brief be carried out on any groundworks.

The watching brief (Alder site code MQ01) took place on 23rd July 2013. A series of earlier surfaces for the entranceway were identified though the majority of these were modern. The earliest phase represented a cobbled surface that pre-dated the construction of the archway. No finds were uncovered to aid in dating of this feature. The groundworks for the slab

installation have been completed and no further work will be carried out as part of this project.

Information from Oasis (alderarc1-156822) 15 August 2013

References

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