Farnell Parish
Farnell Parish Church was built in 1806 by James Playfair alongside the remains of the Old Parish Church. It is a striking building with several Gothic Revival architectural details. The church was built with red sandstone ashlar blocks, now heavily weathered in places. The roof is slated. The church stands within a large graveyard in the small rural community of Farnell. A number of Pictish stones and long cist burials have been discovered in the graveyard, attesting to the site’s historic past.
The Farnell Stone
The Return of the Farnell Stone
The 1856 Spalding Club publication, “Sculptured Stones of Scotland”, edited by antiquarian John Stuart, notes the discovery by historian Mr Andrew Jervise from Brechin, of the Farnell stone in the Churchyard at Farnell in 1849. The plates in the report show this 2m tall Pictish cross-slab, likely dating back to the 8th or 9th Century, as worn and damaged at, or soon after, the time of its recovery. Jervise himself writes in his 1861 “Memorials of Angus and the Mearns” of the stone, with its depiction of “Adam and Eve at the forbidden tree”, being found at the “Kirk of Farnell”. Research by archaeologist John Sherriff in 1984 suggests the stone was found “in the line of the Foundation of the old kirk” – the medieval parish church of Farnell which once stood in what is now the burial ground within which our current church stands.
The stone was initially housed in the porch at Kinnaird Castle before being gifted to Montrose Museum in 1865 by the then Earl of Southesk. In 1999 it was moved to Pictavia at Brechin Castle Garden Centre, before ending up in its current location; the storeroom at the Signal Tower in Arbroath managed by AngusAlive. Shortly following its discovery, crude but essential works to hold the stone together were undertaken, with more recent conservation and restoration work conducted to the extent that it has been safe to do so without causing more damage.
Elder John Aitken and Session Clerk David Adams have been investigating the possibility of bringing the stone back to Farnell. AngusAlive’s Museum & Galleries Collection Lead has advised John that the stone could be loaned to Brechin and Farnell Parish Church for long-term display. Suitable weather-proof housing would be required to enable visitors to see both sides of the slab and fortunately local historian and former President of the Pictish Arts Society, Norman Atkinson, has been on hand to offer advice.
Norman has advised that the Farnell Stone is not only of cultural importance to Farneller’s but is rated very highly nationally due to the circular carvings on one side that have only been seen before on the first floor of the round tower at Brechin Cathedral; one of only two of a kind Irish round towers from 1100 still standing in Scotland. He will be joining a small delegation from Farnell to view the stone at Signal Tower and then up to review the proposed installation site at Farnell Kirk. The next steps will be to get a quote for the housing. With an eye-watering quote for removals, the community will be looking for volunteers with heavy lifting equipment and transportation. Time to call the Marines!
Caption: “A scene, probably designed to represent the Temptation, occurs at Farnell – from Sculptured Stones of Scotland, John Stuart, 1856”
Copyright: Spalding Club 1856
Times of worship
Every Sunday at 9.30am
(except)
Sunday Christmas Service at 6pm
Remembrance Sunday 9.15am at Farnell War Memorial
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As a welcoming, friendly and growing congregation, of all ages and backgrounds, we try to express and communicate God’s love in our daily lives.
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