Marr

Area : Marr
Parish : Clatt
Kirkyard : Clatt Parish Kirk.
N.G.R. : NJ 538 259
S.A.M. : Scheduled Site containing a Scheduled
Ancient Monument.
Listing Category : Kirk and Yard Cat. B.
Boundary wall and gate piers : The gates,
piers and boundary wall are all in good order
though there are surface weeds growing along
the top of the wall.
The Old Kirk : The present kirk, built in
1799 on a small hill, is said to incorporate the
fragments of the medieval kirk dedicated to St.
Moluag.
The design of the present kirk is of a small plain
rectangular form with good crow-stepped gables
and harled walls. The S. façade is composed
solely of two small round-arched windows.
The E. gable is crowned with a fine 17 th
- century bellcote decorated with four pyramidal
finials at the corners. The bellcote is complete
with a bell, reputedly dated 1640.
One of the skew-putts is initialled with “I.T.”
and another is carved with an armorial shield.
The walls of the kirk are patch-harled which
gives an untidy appearance though the kirk appears
to be in good order throughout.
Tombstones : There are approximately 36 recumbent
tombstones of which 10 are significantly
decorated. There are hundreds of standard
19 th - century upright memorials.
The base of the granite obelisk to the Gordons
of Knockespock appears to be splaying apart
and must be tied together, otherwise it will topple
over. There is a mort-house or mausoleum
under this monument that is reached by a flight
of steps outwith the kirkyard. The door to this
tomb is blocked- up though, there is a little
window. The coping slabs to the steps need to
be realigned.
Conservation Digest : Urgent details.
All of the recumbent tombstones are in dire
need of being brushed clean.
The boundary wall needs to be sprayed to kill
all surface weeds.
The kirk walls should not be patch-harled as
this practice looks untidy and creates a very
uneven wall surface.
The Knockespock memorial needs some remedial
work to stabilise it.
Interpretative Potential : Medium.
The kirk and yard are very attractively sited with
numerous good architectural features of note.
The history of Clatt Parish is very well documented
by Jervise and his contemporaries.
A Pictish Symbol stone is built into the base of
the boundary wall: this is a Scheduled Ancient
Monument.
Access issues : The kirkyard is located in the
Kirkton of Clatt with no provision for parking
cars.
Date of visit : 27/07/98.
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