Old Parish Church, Wauchope

The Old Parish Church is a churchyard enclosed by rubble-built walls faced with red ashlar and topped with coping stones. Two concrete gatepiers mark the northern entrance. A steep gully runs along the un-walled southern side, overlooking Wauchope Water. The churchyard contains 18th and 19th century headstones, and the site of Wauchope Church itself. Many of the 18th century stones feature good artisan sculpture, and there are some large 19th century mural monuments, particularly along the east wall. The parishes of Wauchope and Staplegordon were united in 1703 to form the parish of Langholm, as noted in the Old Statistical Account. The Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Scotland (RCAHM) Inventory of 1920 (numbers 438-9) mentions some earlier stones. Further details are provided in Hyslop’s "Langholm as it Was" (1912, pages 456-463).