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Community Archaeology at Kilallan Kirk

Kilallan Kirk
Kilallan Kirk

As part of a new community archaeology project investigating and conserving the remains of St Fillan's Church and Graveyard at Kilallan in Renfrewshire, GUARD Archaeology are looking for volunteers to get involved in an archaeological survey later this week!

Organised by the Kilallan Kirk Preservation Trust, we want as many local people as possible from in and around Kilmacolm and Houston to come along on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September and try their hand at archaeological surveying at Kilallan Kirk, including geophysics.

Kilallan Kirk is a medieval structure dating back to tenth and eleventh centuries and comprises a roofless structure surviving with four walls intact. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is considered by Historic Scotland to represent an excellent example of how ecclesiastical architecture has evolved over the centuries.

Due to intrusive vegetation and other external forces the church walls are beginning to show signs of bulging and cracking and are in danger of collapse. There are currently 57 recorded gravestones in the graveyard and within the old kirk. The project aims to digitally survey, record and publish these visible stones and to carry out geophysical investigations to determine if any further gravestones exist beneath the surface of the graveyard.

To fund the project, the Kilallan Kirk Preservation Trust has successfully secured over £180,000 of public funding from Historic Scotland, Heritage Lottery Fund and Renfrewshire LEADER, and £30,000 in private funding.

This is an exciting way to find out more about Kilallan Church through its archaeological remains. All volunteers will be supervised by experienced GUARD Archaeologists and guided in archaeological recording and surveying.

This archaeology work is taking place on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September 2013, 10 am - 4 pm.

If you are interested in taking part, please contact lynn.rew@live.co.uk to find out arrangements for the survey.

Kilallan Kirk is located adjacent to Kilallan Farm which is situated off the Kilallan Road, half way between Houston and Kilmacolm. The lane leading to the old Kirk is located off the Corsielhill road.