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Bassendean, St Mary's Church

Burial Ground (Period Unassigned), Church (16th Century), Cross Slab(S) (Medieval)

Site Name Bassendean, St Mary's Church

Classification Burial Ground (Period Unassigned), Church (16th Century), Cross Slab(S) (Medieval)

Alternative Name(s) Old Parish Church

Canmore ID 57337

Site Number NT64NW 7

NGR NT 63084 45734

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/57337

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

  • Council Scottish Borders, The
  • Parish Westruther
  • Former Region Borders
  • Former District Berwickshire
  • Former County Berwickshire

Accessing Scotland's Past Project

The ruins of St Mary's Church lie to the south of Bassendean village. The church was founded in the late twelfth century. Some parts of the building, such as the blocked windows in the south wall may date from about this period, but the church was altered a number of times during its history, finally being used as the burial place of the Homes of Bassendean until 1860.

St Mary's is a plain, rectangular church with a doorway in the south wall. After falling out of use following the Reformation in 1560, the church was rebuilt in 1647 as the parish church for the newly-created parish of Bassendean. As is still evident, medieval grave-slabs were used to provide building material during the alterations. Its new status as parish church was short lived however: parishioners built a church at Westruther, which was more centrally located in relation to the local population.

In 1649, the church became a burial ground for the Homes of Bassendean. The final burial in the church was of General Home around 1860. In the early years of the twentieth century, repairs were carried out, leaving all four walls standing to a height of 4m.

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project

Archaeology Notes

NT64NW 7 63084 45734

(NT 6308 4573) Church (NR) (remains of) (NAT)

Bassendean Church (NR) Remains of (NAT)

OS 6-inch map, 1857

Bassendean church, dedicated to St Mary, is now roofless; it is a simple oblong on plan, measuring 54 1/2ft by about 20ft externally. The walls, about 3ft thick, have been brought to a level course at a height of about 12ft, and carefully pointed.

In the S wall are two flat-topped counter-splayed windows with mouldings on the inside, two niches for piscina and holy water stoup, and a doorway.

In the N wall, near the E end, is a plain aumbry with a check for a door. The broken remains of the plain font lie among loose stones and rubbish, and a number of grave- slabs have been used as building material, probably when the church was repaired in 1647. (J Ferguson 1892).

RCAHMS 1915.

The church belonged to Coldstream and appears to have been abandoned at the Reformation. It was again used for divine service from 1647-9, when a new church was built at Westruther, and this building was allowed to become ruinous. It is still used as a bural place by the family of Home of Bassendean

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1897.

This roofless church is as described by the previous authorities. The former graveyard (no gravestones are now apparent, OS surveyor {JFC} 23 February 1955) is enclosed by a grassy bank 0.8m in maximum external height, 0.3m high internally.

Visited by OS (EGC) 29 August 1963.

Although the church of Bassendean is on record at the end of the 12th century, the present remains are of 16th century date.

J Hardy 1882; J Robson 1896; Fasti Eccles Scot [H Scott ed.] 1917; I B Cowan 1967; RCAHMS 1980, visited 1979.

This church stands on a knoll within its oval burial-ground. The building has evidently been conserved (iron lintel-supports having been inserted above one window). A probable font, a tombstone or grave-slab of uncertain date, and several other architectural fragments lie scattered within the interior.

Visited by RCAHMS (RJCM, JRS), 30 September 1993.

Activities

Field Visit (10 August 1908)

281. Bassendean Church.

Bassendean church is situated about 2 miles north-north-west of West Gordon village and about 300 yards east-south-east of Bassendean House, and is now a roofless structure, in form a simple oblong, measuring 54 feet 6 inches in length by about 20 feet in breadth externally. The walls, which are about 3 feet thick, have been brought to a level course at a height of about 12 feet, and carefully pointed. In the south wall are two flat-topped counter-splayed windows with mouldings on the inside, two niches for piscina and holy water stoup, and a doorway. In the north wall, near the east end, is a plain ambry with check for door.

Grave-slab.

Lying within the church, at the west end, is a sepulchral slab measuring 5 feet 6 inches in length by 1 foot 9 inches in breadth bearing a Latin cross. The ends of the arms are pointed and set between four fleurs-de-lis, the lower two of which are stemmed and rise along with the cross from the graduated base. Other two grave-slabs are illustrated in the Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club, cited below.

See Eccles. Arch., iii. p. 412 (plan and illus.); Ber. Nat. Club,1890-91, p. 168 (illus.).

RCAHMS 1915, visited 10th, August 1908.

OS Map: Ber., xx. SE.

Sbc Note

Visibility: Upstanding building, which may not be intact.

Information from Scottish Borders Council

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