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Menmuir Parish Church, Cross-slab

Cross Slab (Early Medieval)

Site Name Menmuir Parish Church, Cross-slab

Classification Cross Slab (Early Medieval)

Alternative Name(s) Menmuir No. 3

Canmore ID 35134

Site Number NO56SW 3.03

NGR NO 5342 6436

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/35134

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Angus
  • Parish Menmuir
  • Former Region Tayside
  • Former District Angus
  • Former County Angus

Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Menmuir 3 (St Aidan), Angus, Pictish cross-slab fragment

Measurements: H 0.32m, W 0.32m

Stone type: sandstone

Place of discovery: NO 5343 6436

Present location: Meffan Museum, Forfar

Evidence for discovery: found in 1943 in the manse garden beside the kirkyard.

Present condition: very worn and broken.

Description

This fragment appears to be part of the upper portion of a cross-slab, carved in low relief on both broad faces. Face A is filled with the upper arm and part of the left arm of a cross with bar terminals and a central square. Traces remain of a probable key-pattern infilling. On face C there is part of a hunting scene within a plain flat-band frame. Two horsemen can be made out, one with a circular shield, and beneath them a stag being attacked by a hound, all moving towards the left.

Date range: ninth century.

Primary references: Stevenson 1959

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2017.

Activities

Reference (1961)

NO56SW 3.03 5342 6436

No.3 There was dug up in 1943 in the manse garden at Menmuir, a cross-slab. It is a defective square about 1ft across, but has been part of a larger monument. It is of grey sandstone and was originally 3 1/4ins thick. One side bears part of a rather crudely drawn hunting scene in flat relief and on the short edge part of the original rounded border moulding. Below the scene is a narrower moulding separating it from a lower panel. The other side has had its carving almost obliterated, but there is trace of a meander pattern on a curve, probably part of a cross-head. It is now on a staircase window-ledge with stones 4 and 5.

R B K Stevenson 1961.

Reference (1995)

NO 534 643 The five Early Christian cross slabs found at this site were all removed following the closure of the church. They have been put on display in the Meffan Institute, Forfar.

The fragment discovered in 1987 was re-examined and does not bear worn interlace. The pitted surface most closely resembles the 'fire-making stone' from Carlungie Souterrain.

N Atkinson 1995.

Note

NO56SW 3.01 5342 6436 Cross-slab (no. 1)

NO56SW 3.02 5342 6436 Sculptured stone (no. 2)

NO56SW 3.03 5342 6436 Cross-slab (no. 3)

NO56SW 3.04 5342 6436 Sculptured stone and Cross-slab (nos. 4 and 5)

NO56SW 3.05 5342 6436 Cross-slab (no. 6)

References

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