Minnigaff, Old Parish Church, Burial Ground, Cross-slabs
Cross Slab (Early Medieval)
Site Name Minnigaff, Old Parish Church, Burial Ground, Cross-slabs
Classification Cross Slab (Early Medieval)
Canmore ID 296972
Site Number NX46NW 7.02
NGR NX 41026 66557
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/296972
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Minnigaff
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Wigtown
- Former County Kirkcudbrightshire
Field Visit (19 July 1911)
Sculptured Stones, Minnigaff.—Standing a few feet out from the
wall in the north-east corner of the ruined church of Minnigaff are
two cross-slabs (Nos. 370 and 371), both of which are fully described,
and the first-mentioned illustrated, in The Early Christian Monuments
of Scotland:-
370. An upright pillar-cross of whinstone (fig. 144), nearly rectangular in shape, but tapering upwards, 2 feet 10 inches in height by 6 1/2 inches in width at the top, and 10 1/2 inches in width at the bottom, sculptured in relief on three faces, thus :—
Front : A cross surmounted by a bird and divided into three panels, containing (1) on the head, no ornament except five small dots in the centre, (2) on the shaft, at the top, spiral work not regularly formed, and (3) on the shaft, at the bottom, triangular interlaced work.
Back: A fish or bird monster. Bight side: A figure of a man, with only the head and none of the details of the body indicated. This stone was found serving as a lintel in the old markethouse of Minnigaff when that building was demolished some thirty years ago.
371. A pillar of whinstone 4 feet 8 inches in height by 1 foot 1 inch in width at the top and 1 foot 5 inches in width at the bottom, sculptured partly in relief and partly with incised lines on one face, thus:—At the top, a cross similar to that on the other stone (No. 370), with five small dots in the centre ; and, below, an extremely rude pattern composed of a reticulation of straight lines. This stone was found forming a doorstep to the old
church.
See Early Christ. Mon., pt. iii. p. 476 (No. 361, illus.) ; Harper's
Bamhles in Galloway, p. 221.
Visited by RCAHMS 19 July 1911
Note (24 June 2019)
The cross slabs described as being located at the Old Parish Church have been moved to Minnigaff Parish Church (NX46NW 172).