Alternative Names Overkirk Of Ewes; Unthank, Old Parish Church
Site type BURIAL GROUND, CHURCH
Canmore ID 67809
Site Number NY39SE 4
NGR NY 38738 94740
Council DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY
Parish EWES
Former Region DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY
Former District ANNANDALE AND ESKDALE
Former County DUMFRIES-SHIRE

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Archaeological Notes

NY39SE 4 38738 94740

See also NY39SE 5.

(NY 3874 9474) Chapel (NR) (Site of)
OS 6" map (1957)

Unthank Church, the Overkirk of Ewes, dedicated to St Mark, is mentioned temp. Alexander III (1249-86) and was deserted after the Reformation.
R B Armstrong 1883; H Scott 1917

Said to have been dedicated to St Martin. Foundations of an approximately square chancel and nave of the proportions of 3 to 1 or 5 to 2 are seen as spread banks in the old churchyard within a more modern churchyard wall. (See NY39SE 5 for important medieval complex at Unthank).
C A R Radford and R C Reid 1960; RCAHMS 1920.

Ewes (Glasgow, Eskdale)-Overkirk of Ewes. The church of St Cuthbert in Ewesdale, which appears as a patronage in Bagimond, remained unappropriated within the patronage of the earls of Home in the 16th century.
I B Cowan 1967.

The remains of Unthank Church, which are orientated E-W, comprise the greater parts of the N and W walls, surviving as turf-covered rubble footings 0.4m high, and a short length of amorphous scarp probably on the line of the S wall. No estimate of its overall dimensions is possible from the surviving surface remains. The southern half of the disused churchyard has numerous 18th and 19 century headstones and a large mausoleum which overlies the east end of the church. The northern half is now featureless.
The farmer at Unthank has a small scale print of a map dated 1771 which shows a structure here annotated 'Chapel - in ruins'.
Surveyed at 1/10,000.
Visited by OS (JRL) 8 October 1979.

This church, known as 'Overkirk of Ewes' and on record in the 13th century, 'was abandoned after the Reformation'. The remains of the church, now reduced to turf-covered wall-footings with a mausoleum built upon the E end, lie within its burial-ground 100m E of Unthank farmhouse.
RCAHMS 1981, visited November 1980.
R B Armstrong 1883; G Chalmers 1887-1902; J and R Hyslop 1912; I B Cowan 1967.

All that is visible of Unthank old parish church is the outline of its footings, measuring roughly 20.5m by 9.5m overall. On the N side of the church, there are a few 18th-entury grave-slabs, that to William Hutton and Jean Scott being particularly noteworthy (two figures with arms linked, carved in high relief). The most conspicuous feature of the burial-ground today is the fine 18th-century burial-enclosure of the Aitchisons (chamfered plinth, moulded cornice, rusticated quoins and piers, wrought iron gates and ball finials).
Visited by RCAHMS (IMS, PC), 30 July 1993.

Unthank. Listed as church and burial-ground.
RCAHMS 1997.

Architectural Notes

Description:
Quadrangular burial ground. Plain rubble-built and partly tree-lined walls enclosing mainly 17th - 19th century stone
monuments, 18th/early 19th century Aitchison enclosure (rectangular-plan, rubble-built, rusticated quoins, cornice,
cast-iron gates); foundations of former church.
Notes:
RCAHM Inventory 1920 nos. 224 and 225 notes church foundations and 1682 table stone.
Scheduled Ancient Monument.
De-listed September 2009
Information from Historic Scotland.

Armstrong, R B (1883) The History of Liddesdale, Eskdale, Ewesdale, Wauchopedale and the Debateable Land, Part 1, From the Twelfth Century to 1530, Edinburgh
Page(s): 102-5

Brooke, C J (2000) Safe sanctuaries: security and defence in Anglo-Scottish border churches 1290-1690, Edinburgh
Page(s): 325 Held at RCAHMS F.5.31.BRO

Chalmers, G (1887-94) Caledonia: or a historical and topographical account of North Britain, 7 vols + index Paisley
Page(s): vol. 5, 204-5 Held at RCAHMS C.1.2.CHA