More information : (SC 42737937) St Lonan's Church (NR) (In Ruins) (1)
Keeill. AD 500-1000 [shown] (2)
The old parish church shows work of the 12th century and is on an early site. Lintel graves and cross slabs. (3)
A pre-scandinavian cross from Glen Roy - No 71 - is in two pieces. Put together they form a wheel headed cross slab 74.5ins x 30ins. (4)
The church is orientated ENE-WSW and measures 17.3m by 6.7m. The western 10.0m is roofless with walls average 0.9m thick and generally to their original height with doorway in the south and window in the west. The remainder has been restored and is walled off from the ruin. Judged by the state of the interior, prayer books etc, the restored portion is in use for divine service while burials have taken place quite recently in the surrounding grave yard. In the interior of the ruined portion of the church and affixed to the North wall are 6 crosses or portions of crosses. They bear inset bronze plaques numbered as below. A notice dates them collectively from the 7th to the 9th century. It is probable that one of these crosses came from the nearby site [SC 47 NW 2]. Details of the crosses in the church are [Kermode's Authy 4 numbers in brackets].
No 71 [49] 76.5ins high x 30ins max. width x 3ins thick. From orginal site SC 48 SW 14.
No 75 [40] 21.5ins high x 7ins max. width x 1ins thick.
No 76 [42] 58ins high x 22ins max. width x 7ins width x 2ins thick.
No 27 [8] 20.5ins high x 12ins max width x 7ins min. width x 2ins thick.
No 77 [41] 18ins high x 21ins max width x 5ins thick.
No 23 [9] 24ins high x 13ins max width x 1.5ins min width x 1in thick.
See ground photographs. (see also SC 47 NW 6 for Cross No 73). (5)
Lonan Old Church is dedicated to the Irish saint, Adamnan of Iona, or the shortened version, 'Onan'. Some of the existing west walls seem to belong to the 12th century but about four feet below the present surface are the foundations of an earlier building, possibly three or four hundred years earlier. The site was used as a Christian burial ground as is shown by two of the cross-slabs found, (Manx Crosses, 8 and 9 - now Nos 27 and 23 respectively), which apparently date from the 5th or 6th century. One was discovered during repairs at the NW corner of the church in 1906 and the other at an 'ancient well' (see SC 47 NW 13) where it had probably been set up. Many lintel graves were found all around the walls of the church. (6)
Old Kirk Lonan (St Adamnan's) (7)
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