At Kirkton, a village lying a short way north of Burntisland, there
stand, in an old churchyard, the remains of an ancient church, believed
to have been dedicated to St. Adamnan or St. Serf. The church (Fig. 679)
consists of a nave and chancel and remains of a south aisle. The nave
measures 41 feet 9 inches in length by 20 feet 6 inches in width
externally, and the chancel is 27 feet 6 inches long by 17 feet 9 inches
wide externally. The chancel is architecturally distinguished from the
nave being diminished by 14 inches in width on each side, and the
chancel arch is pointed, with an opening 7 feet 8 inches wide, and
consists of a single plain order springing from imposts having a simple
splay (Fig. 680). The jambs of the opening are plain, and have a splayed
base. The opening has been built up so as to enclose the chancel for a
private burial-place. The chancel contains the usual priests’ door in
the south wall, and two narrow pointed windows on the same side, greatly
splayed to the interior. It is remarkable that there is no window in
the east end, and the north wall is also blank.
[Illustration: FIG. 679.--Burntisland Church. Plan.]
[Illustration: FIG. 680.--Burntisland Church. View from North-West.]
The south wall of the nave has been removed, probably when a south aisle
was added. Its place was, doubtless, at one time supplied by pillars and
arches, but they are now gone. Part of the outer wall of the south aisle
still remains. To the south of this there is a small building, which may
have been a sacristy, or perhaps a tombhouse.
The north door to the nave is still partly preserved, and there was
probably a south door opposite it. In the west end, which still exists
(see Fig. 680), there is a simple pointed window, greatly splayed
within.
The walls are built with freestone ashlar. All the features seem to
indicate that the church was erected in the thirteenth century, although
it has been surmised that it was rebuilt in the fifteenth century. The
simplicity of the chancel arch and the absence of an east window are
against that supposition.