LOCUS OF THE EARLY MEDIEVAL MONASTERY

Geophysical Study of the Vicinity around Old Deer Parish Church

Some time ago, after discussion and field study with members of an advisory committee from Aberdeen University, the Book of Deer Project resolved to campaign for a Geophysical study to be carried out. Through this means we hoped to find evidence of the former Monastery of Deer where the Book of Deer originated.

Through the goodwill of the Elphinstone Institute at Aberdeen University a conference – ‘After Columba, After Calvin: Community and Identity in the Religious Traditions of North East Scotland' was held in September 1997. (unfortunately cut short due to the funeral of Princess Diana.) Since then the Project has opened an Information Centre at Aden Country Park. This has attracted many visitors with an interest in the Book itself and the many topics relating to Buchan. The experience of dealing with visitors has shown the most frequent questions to be asked as being:-

1. Where is the Book of Deer now?

2. Where is the Monastery of Deer?

3. Was Gaelic spoken in the North East?

4. What is the significance of the place names mentioned in the Book of Deer?

5. Why is the Book of Deer not kept here?

It is in response to the second question that the Project wrote to the ‘Time Team' (Channel four?) inviting them to Deer in Aberdeenshire to explore the area around the parish church where the Monastery is said to have been built ‘in a loop of the river Ugie.' They acknowledged receipt of our letter but have not taken up our invitation.

Since then we have tried various sources for funding a study, through our own charitable status, with no success so far! Meanwhile we have collected some local stories about the changes which have occurred in the vicinity. For example:-

‘The Rabbling of Deer' – A well documented story about the parishioners rioting when the Laird appointed a new Minister against their wishes. The description of the area gives an insight into the narrow lanes and small houses around the church. (Pratt's Buchan P84 – May 1711)

At the time of building new gate pillars at the front of the church, it was found that burials had taken place outwith the churchyard wall. This raises the question of how far onto the road does the original burial ground extend?

When sheltered housing was built directly across from the church in the post ww 2 period, subsequent landscaping of the area may account for the disappearance of ‘the Minister's Mound' This mound was where the Minister stood, in all weathers, after the service, to bless his parishioners as they left the church.

More housing is planned for part of the church glebe between the river and the playing field. It is urgent that this area be properly studied before the excavators move in! Planning and Archaeology departments please note!

Across the Ugie at ‘Mavisbank', a private property owned at one time by Dr Dickson there was a small hamlet and Episcopalian chapel between the existing house and the river. Except for one of the houses which was re-roofed, all are now in ruins, with only the outline of the foundations remaining (1997)

About 200yds along the road towards Stuartfield, on the right is St Drostans well, (part rebuilt in the year 2000) in an area which may hold clues to the habitation if, as the name suggests it was the well used around 700AD.

Within the Aden Country Park, the banks of the river may still have remains of posts or piles used to support primitive dwellings. Timber needs air and moisture to allow wet rot. Have any posts survived the centuries? Only by finding them and subjecting them to carbon dating can we be sure!

When the Russells of Aden decided to build the Mansion House (now preserved ruins within the Country Park) a large area on the bank of the river was heightened and landscaped as their front garden. This is another area where clues may be hidden, due to later developments.

Some 300years after the demise of the Monastery, the Abbey of Deer was built. Assuming that religious artefacts may have been moved to the ‘new' centre of religion, it follows that a thorough study would include the Abbey grounds.

The Spalding Club and the Buchan Field Club will both have records of their research regarding the Book of Deer.

No doubt other areas may be suggested for inclusion in a study. If any reader has a comment or suggestion to make please get in touch at www.bookofdeer.co.uk

George C. Smart
Chairman, Book of Deer Project

A likely site, within the loop of the river is marked with a P. The A indicates the location of a pre reformation church or chapel, now a burial ground.

It has long been believed that the monastery was sited within the bend in the River Ugie, just at the back of the present Old Deer Parish church under the remains of a pre- Reformation Church. The Book of Deer Project have commisioned Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) to conduct a desk based assessment of this possible site. The assessment has found an array of evidence which gives us the confidence to go ahead with a programme of trial trenching. This work should start in March 2009.

THE MONASTERY OF DEER ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT 2009

By Carolynne Milne

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) was commissioned by The Book of Deer Project to conduct a programme of trial trenching to identify and evaluate archaeological traces of the early Medieval Monastery of Deer. The fieldwork took place from 20 th - 24 th April 2009.

The dig was supervised by Olivia Lelong, GUARD, assisted by Aiden Mulherrin, a professional archaeologist with a Masters in osteology and Nigel Healey, a qualified amateur archaeologist. Derek Jennings, was given permission to metal detect the spoil heaps( and subsequently participate in the dig) and I was allowed to participate in my student capacity.

2.0 SITE LOCATION

The site was located in a pronounced bend of the River Ugie within the policies of Aden Country Park , Mintlaw and beside the village of Old Deer . To the west, on the raised part of the site, is the Old Parish Church and graveyard of Old Deer, to the east, the site comprised the lower lying 19 th century arboretum made up of mature specimen trees, level grassed areas intersected by paths and a lily pond fed by seepage from the river, Fig.1, 2 and 3.

Immediately to the east of the present parish church, within the churchyard, lie the remains known locally as the Old Parish Church . The remains are of a roofless nave and chancel c.15 th century (HS No: 7123; NMRS No: NJ94NE 3.01; NGR: NJ 9791 4768).

3.0 BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE PROJECT

According to the foundation legend written in the Book of Deer, a10th century Gospel Book, the early Medieval Monastery of Deer was founded in the late sixth century by St.Columba and his disciple, St.Drostan. The importance of the Book of Deer( a pocket Gospel Book, scribed in the ninth century in the Vulgate) lies in Gaelic notes written in the margins at a later date. The Gaelic marginalia purports to prove long established land grants accorded first to the Medieval Columban Monastery and thereafter to the Cistercian foundation of 1219. A second Gaelic insertion details a land grant to St. Drostan of land enclosed between the bend of the river.

The decision to trial trench in the 19 th century arboretum was based on the possibility of evidence of human activity associated with day-to-day functions of the monastery. Although the site of the Old Parish church was the most promising archaeologically, it also presented practical problems not least of which would be the issue of human remains, both ancient and modern.

4.0 TRIAL TRENCHING

A mini digger under the supervision of Olivia Lelong dug three trial trenches the first day. I could only observe as I had no digging kit. This was resolved by day two as Olivia lent me a spare trowel.

Fig 1 Location of site

Fig. 2 Western view Fig.                                                                        3 Eastern view

The atmosphere on this dig was very different to that of Fetternear, I was made welcome but during my enforced period of observation, I was asked not to hold up the archaeologists who were clearing and cleaning the trenches preparatory to taking photos and making section drawings and plans. Time was obviously of the essence and was in marked contrast to Fetternear where although time was limited, the length of the ongoing project and the use of untrained volunteers led to a more relaxed atmosphere.

This was due to the Monastery dig being a commercial commission and the answers to my questions about geophysics and soil sampling were that any such follow up would be dependent on the willingness of the Book of Deer Project to finance it.

The first trenches were dug in close proximity to the external perimeter of the churchyard wall within the arboretum in the hope of finding traces of human activity. Three anomalies were found, in trench 2, trench 3 and trench 4 . These were recorded and photographed, see Figs.4-14.

By day two I was set to work taking daffodil bulbs out of a cross-section of the embankment to the river that was to be trench six. This was required by the park authority as a condition for trenching in that location. Later in the morning I helped tidy up trench 3 and was then sent to trench 4 to investigate a stone anomaly which was clearly not medieval but which nevertheless had to be recorded and photographed.

It rained heavily but we worked on, unlike Fetternear where rain stopped work. I worked alongside Derek Jennings, the metal detectorist who had very little luck with the spoilheaps, finding only an unidentified coin which was handed over to GUARD. There was no context for the coin apart from which trench it had come as it was a spoilheap find.

Several more trenches were dug including an extra one in close proximity to the perimeter wall of the churchyard. Eight trenches were dug, four of which showed some evidence of human activity. Each trench was backfilled after being recorded and photographed.

I continued to work in trench 4 for the remainder of my time with the project.

We found only Victorian pottery, glass and earthenware, the stone anomaly was a Victorian rubble built wall, the position of which was a mystery but in the absence of plans for the arboretum might possibly have been a garden feature.

I could only observe the making of section drawings and plans because this was a commercial dig.

There was a great deal of local interest in the project and the frequently expressed opinion of the very many onlookers, particularly the older folk, was that we were digging in the wrong place. The response from the archaeologists was unfailingly courteous.

See Appendix B for press coverage of the project.

5.0 CONCLUSION

I really enjoyed my time with GUARD, it was very different to the dig at Fetternear but no less rewarding in experience not least because it has encouraged me to get my own kit and carry on with fieldwork. It also made me realise that qualified amateur archaeologists have a place alongside career archaeologists.