St Athernase Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Athernase Church |
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| 56°22′57″N 2°53′03″W / 56.38263°N 2.88417°W | |
| OS grid reference | NO 455 215 |
| Location | Main Street, Leuchars |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Leuchars |
| Presbytery | St Andrews |
St Athernase Church is an old and beautiful church in Leuchars, Fife, Scotland. It's built in a special style called Romanesque, which was popular a long time ago. This church is a very important historical building, and people still use it today as a Church of Scotland church.
History of the Church
This church has a long and interesting past. The main parts of the church, like the chancel (the area around the altar) and the rounded end called the apse, were built in the 12th century. Outside, you can see decorative arches that don't open, which are typical of the Norman style.
In 1185, a local lord named Ness, son of William, gave the church to the religious leaders (canons) of St Andrews. Later, around the year 1700, a bell tower was added to the church. In 1858, the main part of the church, called the nave, was repaired and improved.
Visiting the Church
You can visit St Athernase Church during the summer months. If you want to see it at other times, you can arrange a visit. Inside, there are some cool historical items to see.
- One item is a piece of a cross-shaped stone from the 9th century. It was found near the village and is similar to other old stones found at St Andrews Cathedral.
- There are also three fancy memorial stones from the 16th century. These stones honor the Bruce family of Earlshall, who were important local landowners.
- One of these stones shows a full-length picture of a woman. It's a simple drawing, but it's really helpful for seeing what clothes people wore back then!
The Mystery of the Name
For a long time, people thought this church was named after a saint called Athernase. But it turns out this was a mistake! The name came from a misunderstanding of an old list of church names from the 1800s.
The old document listed a church called 'Losceresch' as being dedicated to St John the Evangelist and St Athernase. However, 'Losceresch' was actually the old name for Lathrisk parish church (now part of Kettle parish in Fife), not Leuchars. So, St Athernase is actually the patron saint of Lathrisk, not Leuchars.
We don't know for sure who the patron saint of Leuchars is. But some old writings suggest there was a local saint named St Bonoc. There was even a special chapel in Leuchars dedicated to St Bonoc, with its own priest.
The name "Athernase" might come from an Irish name, Itharnán. This name is also found in other places in Fife, like Kilrenny and the Isle of May. Itharnán was an Irish missionary who, according to old records, "died among the Picts" in the year 669.
See also
