Marr

Area : Marr
Parish : Kennethmont
Kirkyard : Kennethmont old Parish Kirk.
N.G.R. : NJ 539 295
S.A.M. :
Listing Category : Kirk and Yard Cat. B.
Boundary wall and gate piers : The boundary
walls, gates and piers are all in a deplorable
condition. It is remarkable that the boundary
wall to the S. is standing at all, considering
the large number of holes in it. The entire wall
needs to be rebuilt.
The Old Kirk : The fragments of the old kirk
are quite discernible as footings on a small hill
in the yard, though there are numerous burial
enclosure within, and attached to, the remnants
of the old kirk. In future years it may be
advisible to consolidate these footings somewhat.
Ivy has already attached itself to several
of these shallow walls and must be removed
entirely if the outline of the kirk is to be preserved.
Tombstones : There are approximately 26 recumbent
tombstones, of which 4 are decorated,
though there may be many more recumbent
stones which have become turfed over with the
passage of time.
There are many hundreds of upright tombstones
dating from the 18 th - century.
The Leith-Hay mausoleum stands adjacent to
the site of the old kirk and is of a square plan
with white harled walls. The detailing, though
plain in the extreme, is of a central pointed
Gothic door with a small pointed Gothic window
on either side. Although the mausoleum,
with neat gravel area infront, appears to be in
good order, the interior is in fact in a poor state
due to the rotten and damp internal stonework
as the roof must be letting water in. This needs
to be investigated further.
Conservation Digest : Urgent.
The S. boundary wall needs to be rebuilt. The
footings of the old kirk require to be cleared of
ivy and consolidated.
The Leith-Hay mausoleum requires to be investigated
further to determine the extent of the
damage due to water ingress.
All of the recumbent tombstones require to be
brushed free of moss and soil deposits.
Interpretative Potential : Medium.
The older portion of the yard, located around
the apex of the small hill, is in a rather poor
state of preservation, whilst the more recent
portion of the yard is in a rather good state of
repair.
The yard, once found, is rather heavily atmospheric
and very pleasant.
Access issues :The kirkyard was accessed
through Leith Hall, though an easier access
route can be found near to the manse. The
kirkyard is located beside a railway line.
Date of visit : 28/07/98.
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