Aberdeenshire HER - NJ94NE0154 - DEER PARISH CHURCH, OLD DEER

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Main Details

Primary ReferenceNJ94NE0154
NameDEER PARISH CHURCH, OLD DEER
NRHE Card No.NJ94NE3
NRHE Numlink 20558
HES SM No. NULL
HES LB No. 16113
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Complete 2
Details Church, still in ecclesiastical use, built in 1788-89 with a tower added and the interior reoriented by R. Raeburn, Edinburgh, in 1880-81, with the tower built to a design by Sir George Reid. Enclosed by associated graveyard. There were further interior alterations to the church in 1898 by A. Marshall Mackenzie. It is a rectangular-plan church building constructed of squared granite with cherry cocking. There are four round-arched windows to the south front and Venetian windows to the east and west, all with dropped keystones. The slim tower has a slated pyramidal spire and porch. The interior originally had the pulpit at the centre of the south wall with a horseshoe gallery, but was re-arranged to face east with a west gallery in 1880-81. The church also has an 1830 Mears bell. Within the churchyard are the remains of the old church of Deer (NJ94NE0002). It also contains the Commonwealth war grave of Lance Serjeant G. Johnston, Gordon Highlanders, who died 25 August 1916. Trail trenching was carried out in the churchyard in September 2016 as part of the Book of Deer Project, to investigate areas where there are gaps in the lair plan. The quantity of human bone indicted that the trenches in the east and north of the churchyard were probably within the medieval graveyard whilst those in the south and west were outwith the medieval graveyard. Trench 6, was within the area of the west end of the medieval church (demolished in the 1780s when the new church was built) and investigate here uncovered the wall foundation of the south wall of the earlier church, with undisturbed burials on its north side. A post 1780 burial lair had been dug through this wall foundation. Trench 7, at the southwest corned of the churchyard recorded only 19th-20th century domestic finds including pottery and building materials. Trench 10 at the southeast corner of the churchyard produced large amounts of building materials including slates, plaster, mortar, sewer pipe and nails, as well as numerous fragments of human bone, indicating that this area was within the medieval graveyard. Trench 12, east of the medieval church was also within the medieval graveyard but finds indicated that the area had also been used to discard 19th century rubbish. In the northeast part of the churchyard, trenches 15 and 16 contained 19th century finds, and several fragments of human bone. An early 17th century coin was also recovered.
Last Update26/03/2024
Updated Bycherbert
CompilerNCA
Date of Compilation01/02/2017

Google Map for NJ94NE0154

National Grid Reference: NJ 9790 4767



Event Details

Event DateEvent TypeOASIS ID
2016 Evaluation camerona1-266642

Excavations and Surveys


Artefact and Ecofact

Ecofact

Samples
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
CHURCHES  A100
CHURCHYARDS  B100
GRAVEYARDS  C100
BONESHUMAN D100
POTTERY  E100
SLATES  F100
NAILS  G100
BURIALS  H100
COINS  I100
GRAVESWARCOMMONWEALTHJ100
GRAVESWORLD WAR I K100