A fragmentary church and old kirkyard preserve the earlier focus of parish worship beyond the later Victorian church on Vicars Road.
Quick facts
- Date
- Medieval or later parish site; surviving church ruin of uncertain date
- Architect / designer
- Designer and builders not recorded
- Type
- Ruined parish church within a historic graveyard
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB18506)
- OS grid reference
- NS 74812 47011
Architecture and continuing use
Historic Environment Scotland records the church simply as a ruin. Surviving masonry is therefore read with the graveyard, memorials and boundary rather than as a complete architectural composition. The open setting helps retain the outline and sacred character of the former kirk.
Its story
Stonehouse’s ecclesiastical traditions long pre-date the present parish church. The old church fell out of use and became ruinous while burial and commemoration continued around it. A local heritage walking route now interprets the site, including the Covenanter memorial known as the Bloodstone.
Why it is included
Category B listing protects scarce fabric and landscape evidence for the parish’s earlier religious centre, complementing rather than duplicating the 1896 church.
What to notice
- Wall fragments defining the former church footprint.
- Historic memorials within the graveyard.
- The relationship between kirkyard, Manse Road and Avon landscape.
Reading the surroundings
Approach only by lawful paths and respect graves. Do not climb masonry, disturb memorials or assume uneven ground is accessible in poor weather.
Timeline
- before 19th century The site served Stonehouse as an earlier centre of parish worship.
- 19th century New church provision shifted worship away from the old kirkyard.
- 1971 The surviving ruin and graveyard received Category B listing.
- 21st century Community walking interpretation incorporated the old kirkyard.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The short designation supplies neither a secure construction date nor a detailed fabric history. Burial-ground management and access conditions should be checked locally.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Old St Ninian's Church and Graveyard, LB18506 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and significance.
- Trove designation: LB18506 — Parallel national designation identity and archival context.
- Community Action Lanarkshire: Make Your Way Stonehouse — Community active-travel interpretation of Stonehouse landmarks, former railways and the old kirkyard route.
- South Lanarkshire Council: Stonehouse Park study — Council evidence for park history, current recreational use, paths, nearby listed sites and the Avon landscape.
Location
OS grid reference NS 74812 47011 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access 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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