Tongland Parish Church

Today's the day …………………………..  to pay respects

This is the graveyard of the Parish Church in Tongland, near Kirkcudbright. 

That big, white obelisk with the urn on top marks the family grave of John Mitchell, the man who back in 1842, built the house we now live in.  So, because we've been doing a bit of family history on our house, in some funny way(!) I feel as if they are my family too.

Of course, there's no church there now.  The ruin on the left of the picture is the Parish Church that was built in 1813 to replace the older 17th century one that you see on the right.  Very little of that survives, but interestingly, that rounded archway  in the north wall is thought to perhaps be a 13th century remnant of Tongland Abbey which was re-used. 

Nothing of the Abbey remains above ground now.  It was founded around 1218 by Alan, Lord of Galloway and Canons of the Premonstratensian Order (the White Canons) lived, worked and worshipped here for over 300 years until the abbey closed around 1560.  You can see a plan of it in extras.  It was said to have the tallest spire in Galloway.

Hopefully, I can go and discover a bit more about it when the dig begins again in the spring …………………..