Benholm Kirk
Benholm Kirk
Benholm Kirk is a Category A former parish church at Kirktown of Benholm, Aberdeenshire (historic Grampian). It is in the care of Historic Churches Scotland. Scottish listing is not entered as a Historic England or Cadw URL.
- Location
- Benholm, Grampian
- Country
- Scotland
- County
- Grampian
- City / town
- Benholm
- Address
- Benholm Kirk, Benholm, Grampian, DD10 0HT
- Postcode
- DD10 0HT
- Built
- 1832, on sprung arches over the site of the medieval kirk; predecessor demolished March 1832
- Consecrated
- 16 September 1832
- Denomination
- Local Historic/Redundant Churches Trust
- Dedication
- Marnoch
- Parish
- Benholm (former)
- Grade
- Category A
- Style
- Georgian parish kirk
- Materials
- Harled walls with a slated roof
- Grid reference
- NO 804 692
- Opening hours
- Open daily 9am to 6pm.
- Access
- Level access to the main areas
Overview
Historic Environment Scotland records a former parish church of 1832 with graveyard, boundary walls, gatepiers and gates (LB2813). The first church, a thirteenth-century Gothic building dedicated to St Marnoch, served a parish from 1242. The old church was demolished in March 1832, gunpowder being needed to remove some walls. The new kirk, built on sprung arches to avoid graves under the old floor, was dedicated on 16 September 1832 by the Rev James Glen and was intended to seat 768. The listing was raised to Category A on 6 September 2005 for a rare early sacrament house and fine seventeenth-century mural monuments, especially the Keith Monument of about 1620 (Lady Mary Keith) and the 1690 Scott Monument in white marble.
Scotland’s Churches Trust describes an externally plain, slated and harled Georgian rural kirk incorporating the fifteenth-century sacrament house and those monuments. The last regular service was on 6 June 2004. Historic Churches Scotland acquired the building in 2006 with local support. It is open daily.