<< Our Photo Pages >> Fair Helen's Tombstone - Marker Stone in Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway
Submitted by Anne T on Tuesday, 07 May 2019 Page Views: 2495
Multi-periodSite Name: Fair Helen's Tombstone Alternative Name: Kirkconnel Old Church ChurchCountry: Scotland
NOTE: This site is 3.213 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Dumfries and Galloway Type: Marker Stone
Nearest Town: Annan Nearest Village: Eaglesfield / Springkell
Map Ref: NY25037534
Latitude: 55.066846N Longitude: 3.175464W
Condition:
| 5 | Perfect |
| 4 | Almost Perfect |
| 3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
| 2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
| 1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
| 0 | No data. |
| -1 | Completely destroyed |
| 5 | Superb |
| 4 | Good |
| 3 | Ordinary |
| 2 | Not Good |
| 1 | Awful |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
| 4 | Short walk on a footpath |
| 3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
| 2 | A long walk |
| 1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
| 4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
| 3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
| 2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
| 1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
| 0 | no data |
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Anne T visited on 2nd May 2019 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Fair Helen's Tombstone: This ‘monument’ is in two parts, the first of which came as a complete surprise, to our west, just off the path in a clearing, just above Kirtle Water.
For the legend of Fair Helen of Kirkconnel see: Fair Helen's Legend and Sir Walter Scott's epic poem.
This was a simple gravestone with a plaque on it, which reads: “In memory of fair Helen of Kirkconnel as well as Richard Bell and Adam Fleming who were involved in the tragedy which took place here. Erected by Clan Bell descendants. Irving Bell. Founder”.
Walking into this small, overgrown but very atmospheric, graveyard, with its tumbled ruins, I struggled to find Fair Helen’s Tombstone, but Andrew pointed it out – right behind a large metal sign announcing this is “Kirkconnel Churchyard”. The sign reads: “In the ballad “Fair Helen of Kirkonnel”, Adam Fleming’s Lover Helen was shot by mistake by a rival in Kirkconnel churchyard. The bullet was meant for Adam, who promptly killed him. Adam was later buried beside Helan and this is his tombstone: Hic Jacet Adam Flemeng. The adjacent uninscribed stone is Helen’s; and the nearby late-medieval cross is called “Fair Helen’s Cross”, marking the site of her death. / The romantic story of the ballad might be an 18th century invention, and the association of the monuments in the churchyard with the ballad’s characters is questionable”.
Although believed to be 17th century in date, I have submitted this site as it is a 'pair' with the nearby 'Fair Helen's Cross' and in reaching the cross, the path through the old churchyard leads right past these tombstones and is recorded as Canmore ID 67054.
A large metal sign at the foot of the tombstones reads: : “In the ballad “Fair Helen of Kirkonnel”, Adam Fleming’s Lover Helen was shot by mistake by a rival in Kirkconnel churchyard. The bullet was meant for Adam, who promptly killed him. Adam was later buried beside Helan and this is his tombstone: Hic Jacet Adam Flemeng. The adjacent uninscribed stone is Helen’s; and the nearby late-medieval cross is called “Fair Helen’s Cross”, marking the site of her death. / The romantic story of the ballad might be an 18th century invention, and the association of the monuments in the churchyard with the ballad’s characters is questionable”.
Both tombstones are raised off the ground and have champfered margins; one of them has the now weathered outline of a sword. A 1774 report by Pennant suggested there was an inscription which read: "Hic jacet Adam Flemeng" although this is no longer visible. This grave slab measures 1.42m long x 0.47m wide and 0.17m thick.
Both tombstones are thought to date from the 17th century, although T. Pennant in his article "A Tour in Scotland and voyage to the Hebrides" dated 1772 suggested that "events described in the legend took place in the time of James V or early in the reign of Mary". Canmore adds: "It is possible, however, that Helen Irving and Adam Fleming lived earlier; one source refers to an Adam Fleming being granted a safe conduct in the late 14th century, although this need not be the Adam Fleming of the legend".
On the walk from the small parking area for the church, another small, isolated, more modern tombstone can be found. It can be found between the footpath and Kirtle Water in a small clearing. It's plaque reads: "In memory of fair Helen of Kirkconnel as well as Richard Bell and Adam Fleming who were involved in the tragedy which took place here. Erected by Clan Bell descendants. Irving Bell. Founder”. I did not take a GPS reading, although the location seems to fit with Canmore ID 67058, Fair Helen's Thorn, at NY 2504 7528. This site is also said to be where the tragedy of Fair Helen took place, although the thorn was apparently washed away in a flood in 1932.
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