Early Crosses, Banchory

Early Crosses, Banchory

Location

Banchory Kirkyard, Tilquilly Vault, near Banchory-Ternan Parish, East Church
Banchory

OS Map Reference

NO 707 958

Description

A relic of St Ternan's Monastery still remaining at Banchory is a slab with two incised Celtic crosses, built into the Tilquilly vault in the chuchyard. Discovered by J W Robertson, Aberdeen.

Related Information

There are no visible remains of the medieval 'cross-church' that is said to have stood in the burial-ground 110m SSW of the present parish church. A burial aisle, which was erected in 1775 for the Douglasses of Tilquillie, stands in the middle of the burial-ground and incorporates a cross-slab in re-use as a quoin at the SW angle. The slab measures 0.3m in length by 0.92m in breadth and bears the inscribed outline of two crosses, one set above the other; the upper is a Latin cross with rounded armpits and splayed shaft, and the lower is a plain cross. Simpson (1935) suggests that there was an Early Christian monastery (dedicated to or founded by St. Ternan) at Banchory. (See also RCAHMS entries NO79NW 5 and NO79NW 10).
Anderson records documentary evidence for a bell and other relics of the Celtic church in a church at Banchory Ternan.

Era

Dark ages

Information Source

RCAHMS http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/

Related Artefacts

Categories

Iconography

  • cross, Celtic

Photographer

  • Jim Henderson

Unavailable Data

  • Date
  • Creator
  • External Links

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