Garvald Parish Church

Garvald church is located in the picturesque ‘hidden’ village of Garvald, 25 miles east of Edinburgh.

It was built in the 12th century when it, along with 120 acres of land adjacent to it, were granted to the nuns of St Mary’s Abbey in Haddington. Until the Reformation the nuns would have had a close relationship with Garvald and the church. The original building would have been a simple rectangle in plan, with a lower ceiling and smaller windows than the current church. The 12th century stonework can be seen on the north and west exterior walls of the building, including a decorative string course with a carved diamond pattern and the smooth ashlar blocks in the lower part of the north wall. Carved stones from the string course can also be seen in places in the interior where they have been reused during later work on the church.

The church remained in the care of the nuns of Haddington until 1565 when the last abbess, Elizabeth Hepburn, gave the lands of Garvald to her nephew, Patrick Hepburn. From 1565 Garvald parish became part of the Presbytery of Haddington. The interior of the church was much altered between 1959 and 1963 under the direction of Peter Whiston, the architect who designed the new Sancta Maria Abbey nearby, with plaster stripped back to reveal the stone, removal of three galleries, staircases and insertion of pine ceiling.

When visiting, look out for a set of iron jougs next to the entrance, required by an act of parliament in 1593. These were used much like stocks with the minister expected to give out punishment for minor crimes in the parish. Also of particular interest is the rare mort house located to the rear of the building, used to avoid the infamous body snatchers. Also, note the outstanding quality of the carving of many of the 17th and 18th century gravestones. This is a reflection of the number of skilled stone masons who would have lived in the area because of the local quarries of the red Garvald sandstone.