Scheduled MonumentsScotlandCupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)
Medieval · St christopher's church (remains of)

Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)

Scotland
HES SM7705
Period
Medieval
Site type
St christopher's church (remains of)
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Cupar, St Christopher's Church is a medieval church of which only remains survive, located in Fife, Scotland. The church once stood upon bedrock of the Stratheden Group, a Late Devonian formation of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate that underlies this part of Fife. This geological foundation would have provided the local stone for the church's construction, typical of medieval building practice in eastern Scotland.

The dedication to St Christopher, the patron saint of travellers, suggests the church may have served pilgrims or those passing through Cupar. Medieval churches with this dedication were often positioned near significant routes or boundaries. The survival of only fragmentary remains indicates considerable loss, whether through deliberate demolition, abandonment following the Scottish Reformation, or gradual decay over centuries.

The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the scheduled monument reference SM7705, recognising its significance as a surviving trace of Cupar's medieval religious heritage. The remains contribute to understanding the ecclesiastical landscape of medieval Fife and the pattern of settlement and worship in the town's history.

Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of) is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7705. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)?

Cupar, St Christopher's Church is a medieval church of which only remains survive, located in Fife, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7705.

What period does Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of) date from?

Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of) dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a st christopher's church (remains of). It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)?

Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of) is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM7705.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Edenwood Farm,burial mound 350m NE of (3.3 km), Hill of Tarvit,homestead & terraces 550m SSW of Hilltarvit Mains (3.3 km), Edenwood Farm,burial mound 120m ENE of (3.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)'s history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)

Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of) stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

The wider landscape

Around Cupar, St Christopher's Church (remains of)

Battle of InverkeithingBattle (1651) · ~24.3 miles