St. Nidan's Church, Midmar

Heritage listing

Date Added 21/02/1955 Last Date Amended 02/06/2000 Supplementary Information Updated 22/08/2017 Type Ecclesiastical: church, Secular: motte; settlement, including deserted and depopulated and townships Local Authority Aberdeenshire Parish Midmar NGR NJ 70126 05910 Coordinates 370126, 805910 — The monument comprises the site of the medieval settlement of Midmar. Its most prominent features are the motte, known as Cunningar Motte, and the old parish church. Between them is an area of open ground which is likely to contain the remains of the associated settlement. The motte was first scheduled in 1955 and this rescheduling is intended to incorporate all parts of the settlement. The monument lies in improved grassland, occupying a gentle spur between two watercourses. The motte comprises an artificial mound of earth measuring approximately 40m in diameter, and upstanding to a height of about 10m. The summit of the motte appears to have been ringed by an earthen bank to support the palisade but this may be the result of previous rabbit damage (Cunningar means rabbit warren). At the foot of the motte there are traces, particularly to the SW, of an encircling ditch. The motte was constructed to form the defensive base for the timber residence of either a Norman lord or a Normanised indigenous nobleman, and is likely to date to the 12th or the 13th century. Lordly occupation of the motte had ceased by the 16th Century when Midmar Castle was built almost a kilometre to the SE. The church as it stands dates from the 17th century but occupies the site of an earlier building. It is complete to wallheads and has been subdivided to form family burial enclosures. The church was abandoned in c.1787 when the new church was built over half a kilometre to the N. The likelihood that the gr

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.