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MHG10346 - St Devenic's Church, Creich

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GR corrected to above. There are the remains of a longish rectangular building running roughly E-W in the centre of the older portion of the graveyard. It survives to perhaps 0.5m high internally and seems to have been built of large cobble and rough stone with faced corner slabs. Dateable features appear to be totally lacking. There are a number of tombstones/graves erected in the church building - these seem to date from the 1930s. The Gray chapel is a squarish building surviving to c3m high, but roofless. Heavily repaired with concrete hard to date. Shrubs rooted in the top of the walls are causing them to crack. Gate on the S side is modern, Some of the grave plaques survive. Several flat stone slabs in the field to S of the cemetery might be the remains of dumped unmarked graveslabs.- HAW 12/2004

See also: NH68NW0056 Graveyard
J Aitken : 09/01/03
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NH68NW 4 6366 8919.

(NH 6362 8923) Church (NAT)
(NH 6364 8921) Tomb (NAT)
(NH 6366 8919) Standing Stone (NR)
OS 6" map, Sutherland, 1st ed., (1874)

(NH 6364 8921) Chapel (NR) (rems of)
(NH 6366 8919) St Demhan's Cross (NR) OS 6" map, (1971)
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The parish church of Creich, built 1790, still in use in 1909, but partially demolished by 1963, stands on or near site of its predecessor, dedicated to St Devenic, mentioned EC13th and possibly rebuilt 1619.
The 'tomb' shown at NH 6364 8921 on OS 1st ed., 6" map bears a modern inscription: 'This ancient chapel was the burying-ground of Gray of Creich, 1625-1787'. This might suggest that it is remains of medieval church abandoned 1619, but its shape and orientation make this doubtful. It is a square, stone-walled enclosure, roofless, with walls 0.6m thick and 2.5m high, and a doorway in its S side.
A recumbent slab, 6ft long, bearing an incised Latin cross on a graduated base, lies at NH 6363 8919 (OS {WDJ}) in churchyard, obviously having been moved since 1909 when it is described as lying about 50ft SSE of SE corner of church (RCAHMS 1911). An indecipherable inscription runs round the upper edge.
(OSA 1793), obviously from St Devenic, whose fair was still held at Creich in 1630. OSA 1793; Orig Paroch Scot 1855; Name Book 1874; RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909.

The ruined church, the mausoleum, the cross-incised stone and St Demhan's Cross are as described by the previous authorities.
Visited by OS (J B) 12 September 1980.

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There were two paths from both sides of Loch Migdale leading to Creich church, used to take coffins to the church and for walking to/from services. The western one goes through the golf course, the eastern one can still be followed although it is somewhat overgrown (information from Sandy Chisholm, Hamish Matheson, Chris Williams) <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 6362 8922 (80m by 80m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH68NW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	CREICH

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