The Church of St. Giles occupies the site of the original parish church
of Edinburgh. It stands in a conspicuous situation in the centre of the
Old Town, on a comparatively level piece of ground (probably an ancient
sea margin), which occurs in the general slope extending from the Castle
to Holyrood. In the ninth century, when Lothian formed part of
Northumbria, the Church of Edinburgh is mentioned as belonging to the
diocese of Lindisfarne.
About 1120 a new church was erected by Alexander I., of which some
fragments remained till the end of last century. This church is
frequently referred to in subsequent reigns. Notice of it occurs under
Alexander II., in the early part of the thirteenth century; in 1319, it
is mentioned in an Act of Robert I.; and in 1359, under David II., a
gift of lands is confirmed to it.
The earliest of these notices doubtless referred to the Norman church of
the twelfth century, of which not a fragment now remains _in situ_; but
some detached Norman carved stones, such as caps, have been found in
excavations in the interior. The edifice appears to have been rebuilt
about the time of David II.
In the constant wars with England Edinburgh naturally suffered much. It
was damaged by Edward II. in 1322, when Holyrood Abbey was also spoiled.
Under Edward III. the country was laid waste in 1335, when the capital
was again injured. This raid, having occurred in February, was
afterwards known as the “burnt Candlemas,” from the conflagrations
raised during its continuance. A reconstruction of the edifice was
probably required after these destructive harryings, and this appears to
have been carried out during the fourteenth century. But shortly
afterwards a most complete devastation of the town and all its buildings
was occasioned by Richard II. during his invasion in 1385. He then
occupied Edinburgh for five days, and, on his departure, laid the town
and the parish church in ashes.
A great effort was made by the citizens on this occasion, along with
assistance from the Crown, to repair the disaster to their church. From
this period the history of the structure as it now exists may be said to
date.
We have no account of the condition of the edifice immediately before
its destruction in 1385, but it must (as above mentioned) have been to a
large extent rebuilt before that time.
It is said that during the restoration which took place in 1870-80,[157]
traces of fire were observed on the pillars of the choir, and it is
inferred that these pillars must have existed before the burning caused
by Richard II. This view is confirmed by the fact that, after 1387,
when, doubtless, the town authorities were doing all they could to
complete the restoration of St. Giles’, they entered into a contract
with certain masons to erect five chapels along the south side of the
nave, having pillars and vaulted roofs, covered with dressed stone
slabs[158] These chapels still exist, and the wall rib of the vaulting
is yet visible on the south side of the arcade, next the south aisle;
but the vault and stone roof have been removed, and a plaster ceiling of
imitation vaulting substituted. The above contract indicates that the
walls of the nave then existed.
We must, therefore, assume that the church had been rebuilt previous to
the destruction of 1385, and that the above contract was an addition to
the building connected with its restoration two years after the fire.
Although, doubtless, much injured by the conflagration, the walls and
pillars of the church seem to have escaped total destruction. The style
of the architecture would lead to the same view; the octagonal pillars
of the choir, with their moulded caps, being most probably of the
fourteenth century.
The church, as restored and added to after 1387, would then consist
(Fig. 824)[159] of a choir of four bays, with side aisles; a nave of
five bays, also with side aisles; a central crossing, north and south
transepts, and the five chapels just added south of the nave. A large
open porch, to the south of the central one of those chapels, was also
erected along with them. It had a finely groined vault in the roof, and
over it was a small chamber,
[Illustration: FIG. 824.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Plan.]
lighted by a picturesque oriel window, supported on a corbel, carved
with an angel, displaying the city arms (Fig. 825).[160] The upper
story, which is supposed to have been the revestry, was reached by a
bold turret stair on the west side of the south porch.
The whole of the main divisions of the structure were vaulted; but the
vault of the central aisles was low, being little higher than that of
the side aisles. The massive octagonal piers of the crossing appear to
have been raised about this period. The traces of the caps, which were
cut off, are visible at a lower level (Fig. 826), and the few courses of
ashlar work above them, with the new caps at the heightened level, may
be traced as additions (Fig. 827). The vaulting of the crossing, with
its central opening, was, doubtless, executed during the restoration of
about 1400.
The ancient Norman porch, which formed the north entrance to the nave,
was the only part of the twelfth century structure then preserved, and a
small chamber was erected above it, with a narrow turnpike stair leading
to it. The restoration seems to have been in progress for a considerable
length of time. Donations from the Crown towards it continued to be
given till 1413. It was probably completed about 1416.
[Illustration: FIG. 825.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church.