Pittenweem Priory
{{Short description|Former Augustinian priory located in Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2025}}
Pittenweem Priory was an Augustinian priory located in the village of Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland.
History
The 6th century religious recluse St Monan is believed to have lived at a monastery at Pittenweem before leaving to take up residence in a small cave at Inverey.[http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/10568/name/St.+Monan%27s+Cell+St+Monance+Fife "St. Monan's Cell". POWiS] Antiquarian Robert Sibbald says that in 1100, Edgar, King of Scotland gave Pittenweem to the Culdees.[https://books.google.com/books?id=BvEvAAAAMAAJ&dq=Fillan+of+Pittenweem&pg=PA279 Wood, Walter, The East Neuk of Fife: Its History and Antiquities, D. Douglas, 1887, Chapter VI]
Around 1145, Benedictines from Reading Abbey founded the Priory of St. Mary the Virgin on the Isle of May. David I of Scotland granted the monks the manor of Pittenweem,[https://books.google.com/books?id=08oAAAAAcAAJ&dq=Fillan+of+Pittenweem&pg=PA38 Stuart, John. Records of the Priory of the Isle of May, The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1868, p. x]{{PD-notice}} where they erected a priory[https://books.google.com/books?id=Np8HAAAAQAAJ&dq=Fillan+of+Pittenweem&pg=PA161 Farnie, Henry Brougham. "Pittenweem", The Fife coast from Queensferry to Fifeness, Fife. J.C. Orr, 1860, p. 161] over the ancient sacred cave associated with Saint Fillan. It was a stopping off point for pilgrims on their way to St Andrews or St. Ethernan's shrine on the Isle of May.
Due to raiding parties from Orkney, the relative isolation of the community, and privations due to the difficulty of securing supplies, in 1288, Reading sold the Isle of May priory to the Bishop of St. Andrews, who gave it the canons of St Andrews Cathedral Priory. With the severing of ties with Reading, Pittenweem became their chief seat. It was less exposed to incursions by the English, nearer to the superior house at St. Andrews, and could be reached without the necessity of a precarious passage by sea.{{sfn|Stuart|1868|p=xxvi}} In 1318, the canons on the Isle of May relocated to Pittenweem.[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/archaeology-secrets-of-st-adrian-s-isle-the-monks-left-may-long-ago-and-today-instead-of-pilgrims-it-attracts-tourists-and-historians-including-david-keys-1381389.html Keys, David. "Archaeology: Secrets of St Adrian's isle: The monks left May long ago, and today instead of pilgrims it attracts tourists and historians, including David Keys", The Independent, 3 August 1994]
The cave, which is fitted out as a chapel, was rededicated as a place of worship by the Bishop of St. Andrews in 1935.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/whereilive/coast/stages.shtml?walk=centralandfife&stage=5 |title=St Fillan's Cave |publisher=BBC "Central and Fife"|access-date=12 August 2022}}Sharp, Mick, The Way and the Light, Aurum Press Ltd, 2000. {{ISBN|1-85410-722-4}}
The present Church of Scotland parish kirk is on the site of the priory church. Much of the fortified east gatehouse of the priory survives (15th century), as does the 'Great House', one of Scotland's best-preserved late medieval houses, which may have served as living quarters for the prior and monks. It was designated a Category A listed building in 1972.{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB39872|desc=Pittenweem, Marygate, Pittenweem Priory, Gatehouse, Pittenweem, Fife |access-date=12 August 2022}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://images.scran.ac.uk/RB/images/thumb/0893/08932762.jpg Priory House]
- [http://www.electricscotland.com/history/images/fife45p.jpg Priory Seal]
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Category:Augustinian monasteries in Scotland
Category:Benedictine monasteries in Scotland
Category:Category A listed buildings in Fife
Category:Listed monasteries in Scotland
Category:Christian monasteries established in the 14th century