Belhelvie Kirk And Cemetery 1800 Aberdeen Scotland
Belhelvie churchyard is located approximately 8 miles to the north of Aberdeen. The church served the parish of the same name. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk and built east-west little remains now but the west gable containing the belfry, sadly devoid of its bell which went missing in the 1960's.
The graveyard itself contains about 350 gravestones, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also of note are two vaults, the smaller of which is partially underground. The exact purpose of this vault is unclear but is likely to have its origins from the time of the Resurrectionists - or body snatchers!
The church was built from roughly-coursed granite rubble, with slightly better quality granite blocks in the surviving south section of south wall. The west gable, which is complete, has a rectangular door at ground level with a rectangular window above at gallery level. There is a blocked rectangular window to the south of the door. On the apex of the gable is a tall, rectangular bellcote with ashlar masonry (so-called 'birdcage' type). It is dated 1762. Only a fragment of a stone finial survives.
The 1633 bell was stolen in 1966. Only a very small section of the north and south walls survive at the west end, as well as a fragment of the south aisle (which formed the T-plan).
In the graveyard are, unusually, two morthouses. One is a small turf-covered and vaulted structure, set mostly below ground. The other is a larger, later building in the corner of the graveyard. It is rectangular and has a wooden door. It would appear to be in use as a store today.
Fact that the Statistical Account of 1845 reported that the then late minister, the Rev A Forsyth, was the inventor of the percussion cap, which superseded the flint lock!
This is a ruin of a very old church of the parish of Belhelvie which stands on the site of an earlier pagan centre of worship. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk. There are a number of notable residents buried in the churchyard which include the Rev. Alexander John Forsyth (1769-1843) who invented and developed the Percussion Lock for firearms between 1805 to 1807.
Church of Belhelvie was dedicated to St Neachtan, but at a later date St Columba was made the patron. The church was confirmed to the Bishop of Aberdeen in 1157, along with authority to erect his chapter. By 1256 the church had been erected into a prebend of the cathedral of Aberdeen, with the parochial duties being discharged by a vicar pensioner.
The church is now ruined but was a T-plan church, represented by high W gable with bellcote (dated 1762) and part of S aisle (containing fine but weathered monument to Innes of Blairton). The east wall of the church is probably part of the wall of a Roman Catholic Church. The cemetery is unusual in having two morthouses, one dated 1835. The other, possibly converted from an old aisle, is of uncertain date,.
It comprises a vaulted chamber 2.5m by c.2m, turfed, with an arched and chamfered approached by 5 steps. The water stoup from the medieval church was in the garden of Belhelvie Manse but there is now no trace of it. The bell which was in the bellcote was inscribed 'Henrick-ter-Horst-Me-Fecit-Daventriae-1633' and was stolen in 1966. There is a tombstone of 1722 in the angle of the masonry fragment of the what may have been the S transept, and also a heraldic tomb on the other side of the wall. The churchyard is a rubble-walled enclosure.
Belhelvie churchyard is located approximately 8 miles to the north of Aberdeen. The church served the parish of the same name. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk and built east-west little remains now but the west gable containing the belfry, sadly devoid of its bell which went missing in the 1960's.
The graveyard itself contains about 350 gravestones, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also of note are two vaults, the smaller of which is partially underground. The exact purpose of this vault is unclear but is likely to have its origins from the time of the Resurrectionists - or body snatchers!
The church was built from roughly-coursed granite rubble, with slightly better quality granite blocks in the surviving south section of south wall. The west gable, which is complete, has a rectangular door at ground level with a rectangular window above at gallery level. There is a blocked rectangular window to the south of the door. On the apex of the gable is a tall, rectangular bellcote with ashlar masonry (so-called 'birdcage' type). It is dated 1762. Only a fragment of a stone finial survives.
The 1633 bell was stolen in 1966. Only a very small section of the north and south walls survive at the west end, as well as a fragment of the south aisle (which formed the T-plan).
Belhelvie Kirk And Cemetery 1800 Aberdeen Scotland
Belhelvie churchyard is located approximately 8 miles to the north of Aberdeen. The church served the parish of the same name. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk and built east-west little remains now but the west gable containing the belfry, sadly devoid of its bell which went missing in the 1960's.
The graveyard itself contains about 350 gravestones, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also of note are two vaults, the smaller of which is partially underground. The exact purpose of this vault is unclear but is likely to have its origins from the time of the Resurrectionists - or body snatchers!
The church was built from roughly-coursed granite rubble, with slightly better quality granite blocks in the surviving south section of south wall. The west gable, which is complete, has a rectangular door at ground level with a rectangular window above at gallery level. There is a blocked rectangular window to the south of the door. On the apex of the gable is a tall, rectangular bellcote with ashlar masonry (so-called 'birdcage' type). It is dated 1762. Only a fragment of a stone finial survives.
The 1633 bell was stolen in 1966. Only a very small section of the north and south walls survive at the west end, as well as a fragment of the south aisle (which formed the T-plan).
In the graveyard are, unusually, two morthouses. One is a small turf-covered and vaulted structure, set mostly below ground. The other is a larger, later building in the corner of the graveyard. It is rectangular and has a wooden door. It would appear to be in use as a store today.
Fact that the Statistical Account of 1845 reported that the then late minister, the Rev A Forsyth, was the inventor of the percussion cap, which superseded the flint lock!
This is a ruin of a very old church of the parish of Belhelvie which stands on the site of an earlier pagan centre of worship. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk. There are a number of notable residents buried in the churchyard which include the Rev. Alexander John Forsyth (1769-1843) who invented and developed the Percussion Lock for firearms between 1805 to 1807.
Church of Belhelvie was dedicated to St Neachtan, but at a later date St Columba was made the patron. The church was confirmed to the Bishop of Aberdeen in 1157, along with authority to erect his chapter. By 1256 the church had been erected into a prebend of the cathedral of Aberdeen, with the parochial duties being discharged by a vicar pensioner.
The church is now ruined but was a T-plan church, represented by high W gable with bellcote (dated 1762) and part of S aisle (containing fine but weathered monument to Innes of Blairton). The east wall of the church is probably part of the wall of a Roman Catholic Church. The cemetery is unusual in having two morthouses, one dated 1835. The other, possibly converted from an old aisle, is of uncertain date,.
It comprises a vaulted chamber 2.5m by c.2m, turfed, with an arched and chamfered approached by 5 steps. The water stoup from the medieval church was in the garden of Belhelvie Manse but there is now no trace of it. The bell which was in the bellcote was inscribed 'Henrick-ter-Horst-Me-Fecit-Daventriae-1633' and was stolen in 1966. There is a tombstone of 1722 in the angle of the masonry fragment of the what may have been the S transept, and also a heraldic tomb on the other side of the wall. The churchyard is a rubble-walled enclosure.
Belhelvie churchyard is located approximately 8 miles to the north of Aberdeen. The church served the parish of the same name. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk and built east-west little remains now but the west gable containing the belfry, sadly devoid of its bell which went missing in the 1960's.
The graveyard itself contains about 350 gravestones, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also of note are two vaults, the smaller of which is partially underground. The exact purpose of this vault is unclear but is likely to have its origins from the time of the Resurrectionists - or body snatchers!
The church was built from roughly-coursed granite rubble, with slightly better quality granite blocks in the surviving south section of south wall. The west gable, which is complete, has a rectangular door at ground level with a rectangular window above at gallery level. There is a blocked rectangular window to the south of the door. On the apex of the gable is a tall, rectangular bellcote with ashlar masonry (so-called 'birdcage' type). It is dated 1762. Only a fragment of a stone finial survives.
The 1633 bell was stolen in 1966. Only a very small section of the north and south walls survive at the west end, as well as a fragment of the south aisle (which formed the T-plan).