An eighteenth-century Shaw Stewart burial vault incorporates and overlies the remains of Inverkip’s medieval parish church.
Quick facts
- Date
- Medieval church remains; eighteenth-century burial vault
- Architect / designer
- Medieval builders and later Shaw Stewart masons unknown
- Type
- Roofless burial vault over a medieval parish-church site
- Designation
- Scheduled monument (SM12814)
- OS grid reference
- NS 21120 72224
Architecture and continuing use
The unroofed rectangular vault measures roughly nine by five metres and retains walls about four metres high. Roughly squared rubble and sandstone margins vary between elevations, suggesting more than one construction phase and probable reuse of church masonry.
Its story
A medieval church once occupied the burial ground. The Shaw Stewart family built the present vault in the eighteenth century, reusing or overlying earlier fabric. Burials continued in the surrounding ground until about 1970, and the monument was scheduled in 2011.
Why it is included
It is the clearest material link between Inverkip’s medieval ecclesiastical centre, the local estate family and later burial practice.
What to notice
- Different masonry treatments on the vault walls.
- The unroofed rectangular enclosure.
- Ground form that may preserve the earlier church footprint.
Reading the surroundings
Respect all graves and mourners, follow cemetery rules and never move stones. The ruin may be unstable; keep to safe paths and do not climb masonry.
Timeline
- Medieval period Inverkip’s earlier parish church occupied the burial-ground site.
- Eighteenth century The Shaw Stewart family constructed the surviving burial vault.
- About 1970 The last burials recorded by HES took place in the surrounding ground.
- 31 March 2011 The vault and underlying church remains were scheduled.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The medieval church survives mainly as archaeological potential beneath and around the vault, so its full plan is not presented as visible fact.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Kirkbrae Burial Vault and Medieval Church Site, SM12814 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and significance.
- Transport Scotland: Inverkip local environment — Current official identification of the scheduled burial vault and its setting beside the village.
- Inverkip Village: local history — Community-maintained context for Inverkip’s old church and burial-ground history.
- Trove search: Kirkbrae burial vault Inverkip — National collection search for site records, surveys and archive material.
Location
OS grid reference NS 21120 72224 · Location confidence: High for the current national designation point; public text separately states access, component-identity and current-use uncertainty. · 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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