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Kirkholm, Corsewall House, Cross-slab

Cross Slab (Early Medieval)

Site Name Kirkholm, Corsewall House, Cross-slab

Classification Cross Slab (Early Medieval)

Alternative Name(s) Kilmorie Chapel, Cross-slab

Canmore ID 60731

Site Number NX06NW 3

NGR NX 0324 6902

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/60731

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

  • Council Dumfries And Galloway
  • Parish Kirkcolm
  • Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
  • Former District Wigtown
  • Former County Wigtownshire

Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Kirkcolm (Kilmorie), Wigtownshire, cross-slab

Measurements: H I.70+, W 0.58m tapering to 0.48m, D 0.24m

Stone type: greywacke

Place of discovery: NX 0339 6583

Evidence for discovery: known at Kilmorie Chapel prior to 1719, when it was taken to Kirkcolm and used as a lintel in the restored church (NX 0306 6885). Kirkcolm church was dismantled in 1821, and the stone was first left in the kirkyard and later taken to the garden of Corsewall House (NSA 1845, 111). In 1987 it was transferred to the modern Kirkcolm parish church and set in a new base on the south-east side of the church.

Present location: at Kirkcolm Church (NX 0271 6869).

Present condition: worn but remarkably good given its history.

Description:

This massive slab is carved in relief on face A and incision on face C. There is an ornate hammer-headed cross on face A, bordered by a roll moulding and filled with scroll work, with a sunken roundel at the centre. The cross stands on a rectangular panel, itself bordered by a roll moulding, which contains four different serpentine creatures, their bodies forming interlaced patterns.

The undulating surface of face C is incised with another hammer-headed cross with an inner incised outline, and on the cross is a crucified and clothed figure. The feet stand on the head of a robed figure below, in frontal pose, flanked on the left by two birds in profile and on the right by a rectangular object and a pair of tongs. Both human figures have carefully depicted hands with prominent thumbs.

Date: ninth or tenth century.

Primary references: NSA 1845, 111; Craig 1992, vol 3, 92-102, vol 4, pls 122-4.

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2019.

Archaeology Notes

NX06NW 3 0324 6902

See also NX06NW 7.

(NX 031 690) A fine upright Celtic cross-slab of greywacke is situated in the garden to the east of Corsewall House.

It is nearly rectangular in shape, but with irregular edges, measuring 5'4" high, 1'7" broad at base and 1'10" at top, with an average thickness of 10". The front bears an incised Byzantine-type (i.e. pre-1453) Saviour on a cross with hollow angles with other figures below. The back bears a similarly-shaped decorated cross carved in relief. In a panel below the cross is a small incised Latin cross. Another panel below this bears two horns and intertwined serpents carved in relief.

This stone was removed from Kilmorie Chapel (NX06NW 7) about the beginning of the 18th century, and used as a lintel over the west door of Kirkcolm church, until the church was pulled down in 1821, after which it was removed to the gardens of Corsewall House, where it now stands.

J R Allen and J Anderson 1903; RCAHMS 1912

The cross-slab, as described and illustrated above, is in good condition and now stands at NX 0324 6902.

Visited by OS (RD) 23 February 1968

Moved to Kirkholm parish church yard (NX 027 687).

Information from D J Craig, 1987

Reference to the cross-slab is made under the entry for Kilmorie Chapel (NX06NW 7), its original findspot.

RCAHMS 1985.

Formerly scheduled under serial no. 2004.

Information from Historic Scotland, certificate of exclusion dated 31 October 1994.

Activities

Geophysical Survey (1 October 2020 - 31 July 2021)

NX 0052 7325 to NZ 9725 6795 The Rhins Revealed project forms part of the Rhins of Galloway Coastal Path initiative and aims to provide outreach related to the coastal archaeology of the Rhins area, as well as training for community volunteers and baseline surveys that can assist with future condition monitoring of sites along the coastal path route. As part of this project, several surveys were carried out between 2019 and 2021 including topographic surveys and drone photography and photogrammetry at Dunman (Canmore ID: 60438), Caspin (Canmore ID: 60923) and Kirklauchline (Canmore ID: 60642) forts; hut circles at Cairnmon Fell (Canmore ID: 60485) and at Castle Ban motte (Canmore ID: 65434). A resistivity survey was carried out over the upper surface of Castle Ban; the results suggest the presence of stone structures not visible at ground level.

NX 1417 3101, NX 1438 3074 A gradiometry survey was carried

out at the Mull of Galloway between the western (Canmore ID: 61050) and eastern (Canmore ID: 61051) earthworks, S of the road, using a Sensys MXPDA cart-mounted gradiometry system. The results suggest the presence of circular structures in the northern end of the dataset, and a possible enclosure positioned on a low knoll near the access to East Tarbet. The data is relatively noisy however, and the results have not been confirmed by excavation.

NX 06702 44683 At Doon Castle (Canmore ID: 60487), a promontory fort containing a broch-like stone roundhouse, topographic survey and 3D laser scanning were carried out in advance of conservation works planned for a later stage of the project.

NX 0324 6902 A high-resolution 3D model was produced of the Kilmorie Stone, Kirkcolm (Canmore ID: 60731) using photogrammetry, and the results presented online.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Rhins of Galloway Coastal Path Project, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Coastal Communities Fund

Graeme Cavers, Jamie Humble and Marta Pilarska – AOC Archaeology Group

(Source: DES Vol 22)

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