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Inch, Old Parish Church And Burial-ground

Burial Ground (Medieval), Church (17th Century) - (19th Century), Church (Medieval), Cross Slab (Medieval), Gravestone(S) (17th Century) - (20th Century)

Site Name Inch, Old Parish Church And Burial-ground

Classification Burial Ground (Medieval), Church (17th Century) - (19th Century), Church (Medieval), Cross Slab (Medieval), Gravestone(S) (17th Century) - (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Lochinch Heritage Estate

Canmore ID 61732

Site Number NX16SW 5

NGR NX 10221 60907

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/61732

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

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

Archaeology Notes

NX16SW 5 10221 60907

(NX 1021 6090) Church (NR) (Remains of)

OS 6" map (1957)

The ruins of a probably late 17th century church, now used as a private burial ground, lie almost due north and south and measure 75' long by 27' wide. An aisle, 20 feet wide, projects 27' from the east wall. Although roofless, the building is in a good state of repair.

In the churchyard adjacent, the earliest stone observed was dated 1697.

RCAHMS 1912

The parish church stood on this site in 1684 (W Macfarlane 1907). According to Fergusson, this church was built in 1770 and was still in use in 1839. It presumably remained in use until 1862 when a new church was built on the present site.

NSA 1845 (J Fergusson); F Groome 1901

(NX 1003 6028). As described by RCAHMS except that the projecting aisle is to the west.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 27 February 1968

All that remains of the medieval parish church of Inch, which stood in a walled burial-ground 950m WSW of Lochinch Castle, is the turf-covered outline of a robbed rectangular building measuring 18m by 9m overall, with an adjacent structure 7m square (possibly a later burial-enclosure) on its NW side. The origial church was replaced, probably in the 17th century, by the building which now stands roofless in the corner of the burial-ground. This building was extensively remodelled in the late 18th century, and was abandoned about 1862 on completion of the present parish church (NX 1003 6027). To the S and WSW of the medieval church site there are a number of 18th-century gravestones.

The original burial-ground was enclosed by an earth-and-stone bank (up to 5m thick and 1.3m high); on the SE of which there are the turf-covered remains of a rectangular buiding (about 9m by 5m overall). In 1936 a cross-incised slab (0.86m long, 0.16m wide and 0.05m thick), of late 11th- or 12th-century date, was found within the burial-ground. It bore the outline of a Latin cross with an open median-incised shaft, wedge-shaped arms, transomed head and central boss. A church, annexed to the bishopric of Galloway, is on record in 1293-7.

(SRO GD 135/Box 50/7/1/14, GD 135/139/2/55; SRO RHP 4620/1)

RCAHMS 1987, visited March 1985.

Activities

Field Visit (30 June 1911)

Inch Church.

The ruins of this church are situated within the grounds of Lochinch Castle, belonging to the Earl of Stair, 3 m. to the E. of Stranraer, and are now used as a private burial-ground. The building lies almost due N. and S., and is on plan an oblong structure with a projecting aisle to the E. It measures 75' from N. to S. by 27' from E. to W. The aisle projects 27' from the face of the E. wall, and is 20' wide over all. The walls of the church are only 2' 4” to 2' 6” in thickness, and are pierced by numerous round-arched windows. On the W., N., and E. walls are outside stairs which have led to the lofts or galleries. The main building was entered by doors in the N. and S. gables. It appears to date from the end of the 17th century, and although roofless, the walls are in a good state of repair.

In the churchyard adjacent, the earliest stone observed was dated 1697.

O.S.M., WIGTOWN, xii. SW.

Visited 30th June 1911

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