The roofless kirk, early carved stone and funerary monuments preserve several layers of worship and commemoration associated especially with Samuel Rutherford.
Quick facts
- Date
- Church about 1626; earlier carved stone
- Architect / designer
- Makers unrecorded
- Type
- Roofless parish church with carved slab, tomb and churchyard monuments
- Designation
- Scheduled monument (SM2340)
- OS grid reference
- NX 58276 56208
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The simple rectangular shell retains thick rubble walls and opposed entrances. Within and around it, the carved slab, Gordon tomb and later memorials turn a modest parish ruin into a concentrated record of faith, conflict and local remembrance.
Its story
A medieval ecclesiastical history preceded the surviving seventeenth-century kirk. Samuel Rutherford ministered here before his banishment, and the building was dismantled after a replacement parish church opened in the nineteenth century.
Why it is included
National archaeological protection, Covenanter associations and the unusually layered relationship between ruin, carving and monuments justify a distinct record.
What to notice
- Plain rectangular walling of the roofless kirk.
- Protected carved slab associated with the older site.
- Different dates and forms among the memorials.
Reading the surroundings
Treat the place as both protected archaeology and a burial ground. Use lawful access, close gates, avoid touching the carved stone or climbing walls, and give mourners and neighbouring residents privacy.
Timeline
- c.1626 The surviving parish-kirk shell was erected.
- 1627 Samuel Rutherford began his ministry at Anwoth.
- 1685 Covenanter John Bell of Whiteside was killed and later commemorated here.
- 1826 The old kirk was dismantled after its replacement opened.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The carved slab is earlier than the surviving kirk, but the available designation does not establish a precise date or original function.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Anwoth Old Kirk, Cross Slab and Gordon Tomb, SM2340 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Gatehouse Development Initiative: Anwoth Kirk — Local account of the surviving ruin, Rutherford ministry, Covenanter monument and nineteenth-century dismantling.
- Lairdmannoch heritage gazetteer: Anwoth Old Kirk — Independent archaeological description, dimensions and documentary references.
Location
OS grid reference NX 58276 56208 · Location confidence: High: the national designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference; the independent source confirms the Place relationship, history or current identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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