A ruinous building, very prettily situated on the left bank of the Don,
about three miles north from Kintore. Kinkell was once, as its name
signifies, the head church of the district, and had under it six
subordinate churches. In 1754 the Lords Commissioners for plantation of
kirks annexed one third of the parish of Kinkell to that of Kintore, the
remainder going to augment the parish of Keithhall. In 1771 the Church
[Illustration: FIG. 1316.--Kinkell Church. Plan.]
of Kinkell was unroofed in order to supply materials for use in the
Church of Keithhall. The Church of Kinkell was remarkable for its fine
design and workmanship, and contained several monuments and sculptures;
but it is now sadly ruined, only the north wall and parts of the east
and west walls remaining.
The edifice (Fig. 1316) was a simple oblong 73 feet in length by 18 feet
6 inches in width internally. There has been a large east window, only
one jamb of which partially remains, and there are no other window or
door openings preserved. The north wall seems to have been entirely
without openings. A large modern burial vault has been erected in the
centre of the church.
One or two features of the former fine ornamentation of the structure
still remain _in situ_, but other portions have been removed, and are
now to be found elsewhere, as will be pointed out.
In the north wall near the east end is a fine sacrament house (Fig.
1317). The design consists, as usual in these details, of a buttress on
each side of the ambry, with crocketed finials, the carving of which is
of a late style. Between the pinnacles is a panel which seems to have
been
[Illustration: FIG. 1317.--Kinkell Church. Sacrament House.]
ornamented with the usual monstrance supported by two angels, but the
carving is nearly obliterated. Above this panel there runs a small
crenelated parapet, supported by a double row of corbels. Immediately
over the parapet is an oblong panel, which doubtless contained a
Crucifixion or similar sculpture, but it is now empty.
To the right and left of the pinnacles are two panels, each containing a
ribbon of different design. That on the left bears the inscription “HIC
EST SVATV,” and that on the right the words “CORPS DE VIGIE NATUM,”
which may be read, “Hic est servatum corpus de Virgine Natum.”
On the base of the ambry are the letters ANO. DNI. 1528, in the centre
MEORARE, and on the right the initials A. and G. united by a cord. The
letter G. also occurs at the end of the inscription in the right hand
panel, and is probably a repetition of the last letter of the initials
A. G.
[Illustration: FIG. 1318.--Kinkell Church.