The small burgh of Brechin dates back 1000 years. It was the
cathedral town of the pre-reformation diocese of Brechin. The burgh
developed from the 12th century when the bishop was granted
permission to hold a weekly market on a Sunday. After the
reformation, the burgh gradually acquired the rights and privileges
of a royal burgh. It was formally granted this status by Charles
I in 1641.
Brechin is the only cathedral city in Angus so we are going to
visit parts of the city associated with the the church over the
years in this short multi.
Maison
Dieu
The page co-ordinates (check the slightly worrying last 3
digits....) take you to an information board at Maison Dieu alms
house. The Maison Dieu (House of God) was a medieval hospital
founded by William de Brechin sometime before abcd It was not a
hospital in the modern sense where people were looked after when
sick, but it was a place to give shelter to poor or old people who
could no longer look after themselves. It housed a master and
chaplains who prayed for the soul of the founder as well as the
poor folk it sheltered.
Little remains of the building, but an aumbry and Gothic window
frames can be seen. How many window frames are there facing into
the car park? e
Bishops
Close
Bishops close was part of the precincts of the medieval Cathedral.
To the north (RHS looking down from High Street) stood the Bishop's
Palace and yard. The Palace was a simple 2 storey building which
still stood and was used as a manse until it was demolished in
1850. The tower at the entrance was built by Bishop Crannach
(1f26-gh)to give access to his
residence.
Notice the 18th century houses lower down the
high street. One of these has crow stepped gables indicating that
it may date from before 1700 and is believed to be the oldest
standing secular building in Brechin.
Beadles
House
The site of the two houses here was part of the medieval chanonry
assigned to the treasurer of the cathedral chapter for the manse.
The houses now here were built by Alexander Stott, Burgess of
Brechin in 1758.
The two houses are numbered lj and kl
The Cathedral and Round
Tower
Please walk round the cathedral to collect
the last 2 answers. There is an information board besidew the round
tower if you need help with the question.
Although the town owes its origins to the medieval Cathedral, there
was an even older Celtic monastery which preceded it. It is thought
that there was a religious community in Brechin in the reign of
King Kenneth II (971-5) but this tower is believed to around 100
years later than that. There are only two towers of this Irish type
in Scotland (the other one being in Abernethy). The round tower
most likely was a bell tower, with hand bells being rung from the
windows of the top floor and would have been built with an
accompanying detached stone church by Irish masons. The tower also
provided security for members of the community and their
possessions which is the reason for the high door (It wasn't bad
workmanship!)
The cap on top of the tower was originally conical but it was
replaced in the middle ages by an m sided roof
Brechin was the mother church of the province
of Angus and the Mearns, a centre where the Culdee monke went out
to minister to the local communities. In the mid 12th century
Anglo-Norman influences spread into Scotland and King David I tried
to bring Scotland into line with continental ideas. Brechin was
made the seat of a small diocesan bishopric and either a new church
was built or alterations in the Norman style were made to an
existing church. it was not until about 1225 that the Culdees and
their Prior were replaced by a chapter of Cannons and a small
Gothic styled Cathedral was built. The building had been altered
over the years, with additions and removal of various parts of the
building. It was last rebuilt in 1900 when as far as possible it
was restored to its late medieval proportions.
The Cathedral has many stained glass windows
by 20th century Scottish artists which look impressive on the
outside but are beautiful when viewed from inside. The Mary Stone
(part of a ninth century
cross-slab) as well as some early Christian monuments can be seen.
The Cathedral is open daily and is well worth a visit.
When walking round the outside
of the cathedral you will see a circular window with a wooden door
underneath. How many spirals are there on the hinges?
n
The cache can be
found at:
N56
4(a+b).(b+c)(d-e-f)(g) W002
3(h).(j-k-l)(l+m)(n)
The final co-ords MAY be slightly out due to trees in the area -
The clue should really help
