Menmuir: Churches, Wells and Monuments

Menmuir offers a cultural and historical perspective through its churches, churchyard, wells and monuments. If you are interested in these subjects, the sites can be distinguished by their function: former and present-day parish churches, places of remembrance and wells each represent different aspects of the area’s history.

Parish Church and Churchyard

Menmuir’s former parish church is protected as a Category C Listed Building under number 19821; it is no longer used as a place of worship. Its building contains the 1639-dated burial vault of the Carnegys of Balnamoon. This brings together the building’s former religious use and a precisely dated architectural feature.

The present-day Menmuir Parish Church is distinct from it: dating from 1842, it replaced a church built in 1767. Both the present-day church and its predecessor are considered to have been built on the site of the medieval parish church. This connects the succession of several church buildings to a shared historic location.

Menmuir’s churchyard is also a place of remembrance in its own right. It contains several notable monuments and gravestones, including a gravestone for Keatren Fairweather dating from 1702. The name and date give the churchyard a specific historical reference point; the other monuments and gravestones broaden the perspective beyond this single example.

Another building’s history concerns the former steading and stables of the manse at Kirkton of Menmuir. They date from 1796 and are now known as Easterburn Cottage. Here, the former function as farm buildings and stables sits alongside the present-day name—another way of exploring the area’s history, distinct from its church buildings and memorials.

Wells and Route Information

St Aidan’s Well lies in the valley south of Menmuir Parish Church. Come’s Well has a different route connection: a walk there can begin at Menmuir Village Hall. From there, head west along the road, cross the stream and then go through a gate into a field. Access to the field and conditions may vary; check the situation before setting out.

Two low rows of stones probably mark the route of a pilgrimage path to Come’s Well. This possible historical interpretation should be distinguished from the walking directions: the rows of stones relate to the presumed route of the pilgrimage path, while the route via the Village Hall provides practical guidance.

Menmuir War Memorial

The war memorial is a square granite pillar on a tiered base, topped by a lion. It stands at the crossroads of the roads to Edzell and Montrose. Its design and location offer two concrete features by which to identify it: the pillar’s distinctive shape and the crossroads. Along with the churches, memorials and wells, it forms another distinct part of Menmuir’s cultural and historical heritage.

For your travel planning, this provides a clear distinction between building history, the churchyard and gravestones, wells and their routes, and the war memorial. You can plan your stay around the subject that interests you most, while keeping the individual sites and their historical connections in mind.

Discover more destinations: Westmuir, Edzell, Brechin, Montrose, Monifieth, Tarfside, Kinnaird, Monikie.

For the broader travel overview: Angus.