Aberlemno Parish Church - Angus, Scotland
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creg-ny-baa
N 56° 41.366 W 002° 46.890
30V E 513383 N 6282837
The parish church of the scattered rural community of Aberlemno in the county of Angus, Scotland.
Waymark Code: WMZ3BA
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/04/2018
Views: 1
Aberlemno is a rural parish straddling the B9134 road in an upland area between the Angus towns of Forfar and Brechin. Known for its Pictish Standing Stones, the settlement consists of a small school, a few houses and farms, the manse and the parish church, which is situated to the south of the B9134 a few hundred yards down a narrow minor road in a wooded dell.
A Pictish church, thought to be known as Egglespether was built on the site around 710AD, although little is known about it. A church dedicated to Bishop David de Bernham was built in 1242 with the name Aberlemno now established. The current church was built in 1722, utilising the walls of the former building from three feet above the ground, along with the aisle in the north centre. The building was a small oblong, but was extended into a T-plan in 1820. It was remodelled in a gothic style in the late 19th century with the vestry and galleries added in 1856.
The north elevation includes the aisle and porch. The gable of the aisle has a simple pointed-arch window high up in the gable, with simple tracery and thick mullions. Below is a pair of rectangular windows. The apex of the gable has a raised platform which originally supported a finial or weathervane. Attached in the north-east corner is an extension built in the 1980s. The extension has large Velux windows and a small doorway. The porch has a small door and a rectangular window on the north face.
The west gable has similar windows to the north gable. On top is mounted a tall, open bellcote with a small stone spire. The bell was cast in 1728 by Robert Maxwell of Edinburgh.
The south elevation has four pointed-arch windows with thick mullions and simple tracery.
The east elevation has similar windows to the north and west and a gable topped by a stone cross finial.
The graveyard surrounding the church has many stones dating back to the original building, but it is most noted for the 8th century cross-slab Pictish stone which lies on the west side of the church. The gates to the church are to the north-west, and a car park lies to the south. The church is in use for the occasional service and is linked with the Guthrie and Rescobie parishes.