storied style is preserved--viz., the Abbey Church of Kelso. The same
features may, however, be still observed in the façades of the transepts
of Kirkwall Cathedral, Orkney. At St. Andrews Cathedral the original
storied Norman east end was subsequently altered. In other large Norman
churches, such as Dunfermline Abbey, the façades have been removed or
altered. The smaller churches in the Norman style are not of sufficient
height to give expression to this peculiarity.
It has been shown in the preceding chapter that some of our early Celtic
structures were transitional, and contained some signs of the approach
of the Norman style; but after its introduction, in the twelfth century,
that style at once became universal in the civilised parts of the
country, and all the churches of that date of which any portions survive
were erected in accordance with the Norman fashion. It has been often
remarked that the twelfth century was the great church-building epoch in
Scotland, as elsewhere, and the number of these Norman edifices still
traceable in the south and east of the country is very large.
The parish churches are generally small and aisleless, most of them
being single oblong chambers, with an eastern chancel, sometimes with an
eastern apse, and occasionally there was a western tower. St. Nicholas’,
Aberdeen, was cruciform, and had a central tower.
During the Norman period monasticism prevailed, and almost all the large
churches were conventual. These churches were always designed on the
cruciform plan, and contained choir, nave, and north and south transept,
each portion having side aisles, and the transepts usually only an
eastern aisle. The small churches and side aisles were frequently
vaulted, but the large churches appear to have been designed for wooden
roofs.
The details and ornaments of the style are often very elaborate, and
invariably correspond with those in use in England at, or rather earlier
than, the corresponding period. In the early examples, the design was
very simple, and ornament was sparingly used; but as time advanced the
style was gradually enriched, until towards the close of the period the
ornament became very elaborate, especially in the arched heads of
doorways, as at Kelso, Jedburgh, and Dunfermline.
A common feature in Norman buildings was an arcade running round the
walls below the windows. Almost every Norman structure of importance in
Scotland contains this arcade, either in the interior or exterior, or
both, and the caps and arches are generally elaborately and richly
carved with ornaments. Here, and generally throughout Norman structures,
the chevron or zig-zag enrichment is a characteristic feature. The other
enrichments of the period in other countries consist of the billet, the
bird’s beak, faceted sinkings, grotesque heads, rosettes, &c., all of
which are found in the Scottish examples. The doorways are generally the
points where the carving is richest, and it naturally followed that the
doorways are often preserved where the other parts of the buildings are
altered or rebuilt. The windows are always single, and simple in
details.
Some of the towers above enumerated are amongst the earliest examples of
Norman work which survive. They contain some reminiscences of the early
defensive purpose of such structures. They are extremely simple in
design, being square on plan, and carried up, without break or buttress,
to the parapet, where they were finished with a gabled roof, forming the
saddleback arrangement still preserved in the tower at Muthill.
The only break in the height is formed by string courses, which mark the
unequal stories. A small wheel stair usually leads to the top. The
doorway in some instances is placed several feet above the ground.
Amongst these towers are to be found most of the small fragments which
still survive of the extensive building works encouraged by David I. in
the first half of the twelfth century.
In the following descriptions the churches are arranged, as far as
possible, in the order of their probable dates, commencing with the
oldest and simplest, and continuing with the later and more elaborate
examples.
MARKINCH TOWER, FIFESHIRE.
The Church and Churchyard of Markinch stand on the top of a small hill,
round the base of which lie the houses of the town. The church and its
Norman tower are thus conspicuous objects as seen from the railway in
approaching from Kirkcaldy, which is about seven miles distant to the
southward. The inch, or island, is believed to have derived its name
from having been formerly surrounded by a marsh.
[Illustration: FIG. 159.--Markinch Church Tower. Plans and Details.]
A church was consecrated here in 1243, and dedicated to Saints John
Baptist and Modrest. There was at one time a Culdee cell in this
locality, but afterwards the church belonged to the Priory of St.
Andrews.
The only part of the original structure which survives is the tower,
which is undoubtedly an ancient Norman building.
It is nearly square on plan (Fig. 159), being 16 feet from north to
south by 17 feet from east to west. The tower rises (Fig. 160) without a
break (except a string course at each floor) to the height of four
stories,
[Illustration: FIG. 160.--Markinch Tower. From South-West.]
or 73 feet to the top of the parapet. The original entrance (Fig. 161)
is by a door, two feet wide, at the north-west angle. The sill is now
about two feet above the ground, but it doubtless stood several feet
higher originally. From the doorway a wheel stair leads to the upper
floors. The stair and upper floors were lighted by small windows, with
round heads. These are now built up, except one in the south side, which
has been changed into a trefoil head. The top story is lighted by a
window in each face. Each of these windows (see Fig. 159) consists of
two openings, divided by a central shaft. On the exterior each opening
is arched, with a small semi-circular arch, cut out of one stone; but in
the interior both openings are spanned by one arch. The arrangement of
the shafts is peculiar, the central shaft being placed so as to be in
the centre of the abacus which carries the small arches, while the side
shafts are wrought upon the angles of the jambs, and do not stand in the
same plane as the central shaft. The caps are Norman, of the usual
cushion form, with heavy abacus; but they and the bases are now much
decayed.
The original mode of finishing the tower is now matter of conjecture,
but it was doubtless (as stated by Mr. Muir) finished with a saddleback
or gabled roof. It is now terminated with a modern cornice, above which
a heavy modern spire has been erected, the top story being domed in
order to carry the spire.
[Illustration: FIG. 161.--Markinch Tower. From North-East.]
The top story is slightly diminished in size, and is set back over the
string course. The lower string courses are of three-sided section, and
have been carved with the ordinary Norman enrichment of the lozenge
(see Fig. 161). These are now nearly wasted away. The church attached to
the tower is entirely modern, and a modern doorway of entrance has been
cut through the tower.
MUTHILL CHURCH, PERTHSHIRE.
The parish of Muthill lies about three miles south of Crieff. The
ancient church, with its venerable tower, remained entire and in use as
the parish church till about the year 1818, when, unfortunately, it was
abandoned for a new building erected about that time. We are enabled to
give a view[149] of the old church (Fig. 162), made by John Claude
Nattes about the year 1799, from which it will be seen how eminently
picturesque the old structure was, and how deplorable is the ruin which
has overtaken it in the last half-century.[150]
The church (Fig. 163) consisted of the ancient square tower at the west
end, with a nave having north and south aisles, and an aisleless choir.
The tower is one of the best preserved of the Norman towers in Scotland.
It is nearly square on plan, and measures about 15 feet 3 inches on each
side, with walls about 3 feet 2 inches thick. It has two offsets (Fig.
164) on the outside of the two upper stories, and a string course above
the lower stage. This string course is of the usual Norman section, and
is ornamented with the lozenge pattern, except on the east face, where
it is plain. The walls are built plumb inside, with neither corbels nor
projecting courses to carry floors. The tower is about 51 feet 3 inches
high from the ground to the eaves, and about 16 feet 6 inches more to
the apex of the gables. The latter, with their crow-steps, doubtless
belong to a late period; but they probably represent the original mode
of termination of the tower. The roof must be at least some centuries
old. It is constructed with timbers about seven inches square, in the
manner shown on section (Fig. 165); they are fixed together with wooden
pins. With slight repairs and attention, which it greatly
[Illustration: FIG. 162.--Muthill Church. From South-East. (From Sketch
by Nattes, about 1799.)]
requires, the roof would last for generations to come. We may remark
that several cracks in the masonry, which were very conspicuous when we
sketched the tower about fifteen years ago, have now been filled up.
The belfry stage has an opening in each face. Those on the west and
north sides (see Fig. 164) consist of large arches, each containing two
smaller ones. They are alike, and measure about 3 feet 5 inches wide on
the inside by about 5 feet 10 inches high to top of large arch, and
about 4 feet 2 inches of daylight. They are divided with a central
octagonal shaft, with round responds set well back in the wall. The
shafts have all cushion capitals, those of the responds being slightly
higher than those of the central shafts. The arches springing from these
caps are very rudely formed. Each of these two windows is wider at the
springing of the arch
[Illustration: FIG. 163.--Muthill Church. Plan.]
than at the base by about 2½ inches, and the responds taper even more.
The latter have no bases, while the centre shafts have only the merest
fillet. The south window (Fig. 166) has a square lintel. It is about 3
feet 8½ inches wide by 4 feet 1½ inch high, and has no taper. The
opening is divided by a mullion, placed flush with the outer face of the
wall. The east window is a single light, about 1 foot 7 inches wide
inside, increasing by 2 inches to the outside. It is 3 feet 11 inches
high, and is 2 inches wider at the lintel than at the base. We have
minutely described these windows, as they are peculiar in their
differences, and are undoubtedly original. We know of no reason why the
north and west ones should be so much more ornamental than the other
two.
This tower appears to have stood quite isolated, like that of Dunblane
Cathedral. There is nothing to indicate that it was attached to any
building. There are no roof ragglets, but only the faintest mark caused
by the pointing where the roof of the present ruin joined the walls.
What position the tower occupied in regard to the early church, which
[Illustration: FIG. 164.--Muthill Church. View of Tower from
North-West.]
doubtless stood here, cannot now be ascertained. There seems to have
been a doorway on the west face of the ground floor (see Fig. 164),
about 4 feet wide, formed with a flat arch about 7 feet 6 inches above
the present level of the ground; but it is doubtful if the door came to
the level of the ground, which seems to have been raised in the course
of centuries. A door opened into the church on the east side of the
tower. It is about 3 feet wide by 6 feet 2 inches high, and has also a
flat arch; but it is not easy to say whether these doors are original or
are insertions. In the basement floor on the north and south sides there
is a square-headed window, about 7 or 8 feet above the floor. The one on
the north side is 12 inches wide by about 1 foot 10 inches high, and is
divided by a mullion placed similarly to that in the south belfry
window.
From the foregoing description, it seems not unlikely that the same
ideas which prevailed with the builders of the round towers actuated the
men who built this one. It probably contained the bells, and was used as
a place of safety detached from the church.
The tower is enclosed on three sides by the church. From the east face
of the tower the nave measures 46 feet 1 inch in length, and, including
the tower, the central aisle of the nave measures 58 feet 10 inches in
length by 20 feet 6 inches in width, and the total width inside,
including the aisles, is 45 feet 5 inches. The total length of the
church inside, including the chancel, is 105 feet 5 inches, and the
width of the chancel is 16 feet.
[Illustration: FIG. 165.--Muthill Church. Plan and Section of Top Story
of Tower.]
The walls of the main nave are wider than the tower. The south aisle
(see Fig. 166) is divided into three bays, and the north aisle into two
bays. The piers are octagonal, with corresponding responds. There are no
capitals on the piers, and the bases have simple splays; the splayed
arches of the arcade die against the piers (Fig. 167). From the floor to
the springing of the arches is 6 feet 7½ inches, and to the soffit of
the arch at the apex is 17 feet 4½ inches. The chancel arch, which is 13
feet 11 inches wide, is treated in a similar manner to the other arches,
and is a few feet higher.
The roof of the church is shown on the sketch by Nattes as being in one
span; so that there does not appear to have been a clerestory over the
nave arcade. Now only the foundation of the north aisle wall remains,
and the chancel walls are reduced to a few feet in height; while at the
west end they have almost disappeared, showing how badly used the place
has been during this century. The entrance to the church was by a
square-lintelled doorway in the centre of the south wall of the nave,
and there appears to have been a priests’ doorway in the south side of
the
[Illustration: FIG. 166.--Muthill Church. View from South-East.]
chancel. There is a door through the east wall of the north aisle, which
possibly led into what may have been a sacristy or vestry. At the west
[Illustration: FIG. 167.--Muthill Church. West Window and Respond.]
end of the north aisle there seems to have been a chapel, lighted with a
west window.
The windows of the church, of which three remain entire in the south
[Illustration: FIG. 168.--Muthill Church. Plan of Windows in South
Aisle.]
aisle (Fig. 168), contain three lights in each. They are of good design,
and resemble windows in the north side of Dunblane Cathedral. The east
window in the south aisle of the nave is completely demolished, and only
one jamb remains of the west window of the north-west chapel. Over each
of the end windows of the south aisle there are small pointed windows,
widely splayed towards the
[Illustration: FIG. 169.--Muthill Church. Remains of Sedilia.]
inside. One of these is shown in Fig. 164. An ambry at the east end of
the south aisle, and a roughly-formed recess or ambry on the north side
of the chancel, with the remains of a sedilia, complete the
ecclesiastical appurtenances of the church, so far as they have been
spared, if, indeed, the latter can be said to have been spared. It is
situated in the usual place, near the east end of the chancel; but only
a portion of the west corner remains. (Fig. 169). It is moulded, having
a hollow set in a splay, with a stop chamfer above the seat level. How
it was finished along the top nothing remains to indicate. There were
three seats, graduated in height--an unusual feature in Scotland. The
lowest seat, which is 1 foot 11 inches wide, is the narrowest; the
centre one is 2 feet 3 inches; and the east one appears to have been the
widest, but, the wall being broken down, the exact dimensions cannot be
given.
Opposite the sedilia are the mutilated remains of two figures. (Fig.
170). They are life-size, and are cut out of one stone. They have
[Illustration: FIG. 170.--Muthill Church. Monument.]
recently been protected by a strong iron hearse, and the following
inscription on the wall behind tells who they were, viz.:--“In memory of
Ada, daughter of Henry, Seneschal of Strathearn, and of Sir Muriel
Drummond, first Knight of Concraig, who died 1362, whose effigies
beneath have wasted by the long Lapse of Time. This Tablet has been
placed by their Descendants, the Drummonds of Megginch, late of Lennoch,
in Strathearn. A.D., 1880.”
The edifice, now in ruins, was built by Michael Ochiltree, who was first
Dean, then Bishop of Dunblane. Keith (_Catalogue_) says:--“It is to be
supposed that he built the Church of Muthill while he was Dean only,
that church belonging to the deanery.” He was Dean in 1425, and Bishop
in 1430. When he died is not known, but he was Bishop in 1445, and his
successor, Robert Lauder, was Bishop in 1449. Spottiswood says that
Ochiltree was “a wealthy prelate, and well esteemed; and so purchased to
his see a great part of the forfeited lands of Strathearn, adorned the
Cathedral of Dunblane, built the bridge of Knaik and Machant, with the
Church of Muthill, and did in his time divers other good works.” He
crowned James II. in Holyrood in 1437, and his effigy is shown in the
nave of Dunblane Cathedral.
ST. SERF’S, DUNNING,[151] PERTHSHIRE.
The village of Dunning is situated in Lower Strathearn, about 1¾ mile
south-east of the railway station of the same name. The following
historical facts connected with the church and district are from a
scarce “History of Dunning,” by the late Rev. John Wilson, minister of
the parish.
“Dunning,” Mr. Wilson says, “when first heard of in authentic history,
formed part of the ancient Stewartry or Earldom of Strathearn, and dates
back to a remote antiquity,” the Earls or Courts Palatine of Strathearn
dating from before the Norman Conquest. When the foreign immigrants
arrived in Scotland, in the twelfth century, under David I., “there were
families of the ancient Scottish or Celtic blood who held their own, and
maintained their native customs amid the new-fangled innovations of the
Saxon and Norman chivalry. One of the most famous of these native
magnates was Malis, Earl of Strathearn, who acted a prominent part in
the disastrous Battle of the Standard.”
In the course of time this reserve on the part of the native nobles wore
away, and we find that Gilbert, the grandson of Malis, “took charters
from the king for the lands which his fathers had held by their swords.
He connected himself by marriage with the new-comers, and rivalled the
most zealous of the followers of King David in his munificence to the
Church.” He “richly endowed the neighbouring Abbey of Canons Regular at
Inchaffray, annexing to it the tithes of many of the surrounding
parishes,” as is shown by the foundation charter of the Abbey in the
library of the Earl of Kinnoull, “dated in the year 1200 from the
incarnation of our Lord, in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King
William.”
[Illustration: FIG. 171.--Tower of St. Serf’s, Dunning. From
North-West.]
In a charter of confirmation, nineteen years later, Gilbert, in addition
to his former liberality, grants to Inchaffray, “_Ecclesiam sancti
servani de Dunnyne_,” the “church dedicated to St. Servanus, or Serf, at
Dunning;” so that we have here proof of the existence of a church at
Dunning in the year 1219, and it may be inferred that it did not exist
in the year 1200, from its not being mentioned in the charters of that
year. The date, therefore, of the erection of this church is narrowed to
the early years of the thirteenth century, and there need be no
hesitation in assigning to that time the present tower and certain other
portions of
[Illustration: FIG. 172.--St. Serf’s, Dunning. Plan.]
the structure. This tower, although similar in general form to those at
Muthill and Dunblane, is considerably later in date. It is an example of
Norman work continuing to be used in Scotland for some years after 1200,
the pointed form of the arch being the only indication of the coming
change of style.
The tower (Fig. 171), which is of Norman architecture, is placed at the
west end of the church (Fig. 172). It is built in three unequal tapering
stages, and without buttresses, to a height of about 75 feet to the
ridge. The two stories above the church roof have small square-lintelled
windows, but in the belfry stage double windows are introduced (Fig.
173). Both lights are contained within a plain square-edged round arch,
without imposts, and the two lights, which have plain round arches, are
separated by a central shaft with cushion cap. The crow-stepped gablets
of the saddle-backed roof are probably of later date, but they, no
doubt, indicate the original style of finishing the tower. The turret
stair, shown on plan (see Fig. 172) stops about half-way up, access
above being obtained by wooden ladders. The elaborately-carved and
pointed archway (Fig. 174), opening from the tower into the church, is a
most noteworthy
[Illustration: FIG. 173.--St. Serf’s, Dunning. South-East View of
Tower.]
[Illustration: FIG. 174.--St. Serf’s, Dunning. Archway in Tower.]
[Illustration: FIG. 175.--St. Serf’s, Dunning. Plan of Tower and Detail
of Archway.]
feature, and was quite concealed from view till disclosed during the
course of some recent repairs. Figs. 175, 176, and 177 show the details
of this archway.
[Illustration: FIG. 176.--St. Serf’s, Dunning. Details of Arch.]
Considerable portions of the old church still remain. The building,
[Illustration: FIG. 177.--St. Serf’s, Dunning. Apex of Archway.]
as it now stands, is 68 feet long by 25 feet wide on the outside at the
east end, and 26 feet 9 inches at the west end. The total length,
including the tower, is 82 feet, the height of which to the ridge is 75
feet.
The church has been greatly altered at various times; an aisle has been
added on the north side, and the ancient north doorway (Fig. 178) has
been disfigured and almost concealed by an outside staircase being built
across it. The west gable wall of the church, however, and a good part
of the north wall and the east wall are original. The ancient corbels at
the north parapet still survive (see Fig. 178), and the raggle of the
original roof is seen against the east side of the tower (see Fig. 173).
It is thus quite evident that the existing building is in great part on
the site of the _Ecclesia_
[Illustration: FIG. 178.--St. Serf’s, Dunning. Doorway, &c., on North
Side.]
_sancti servani de Dunnyne_. There appears to have been a chancel, as
Mr. Thomson informs us that during alterations about twenty-five years
ago the bases of the pillars were found _in situ_.
CRUGGLETON CHURCH, WIGTONSHIRE.
The parish of Cruggleton now forms part of the parish of Sorbie, with
which it was united in the seventeenth century. The old church of
Cruggleton is situated near the coast about three miles from Garleston,
[Illustration: FIG. 179.--Cruggleton Church. Chancel Arch, from West.]
and about the same distance from Whithorn, to the priory at which it
belonged before the Reformation. The church of Cruggleton, being
abandoned, fell into decay. The view (Fig. 179), for which we have to
thank Mr. Galloway, shows its condition before it was recently restored
by the Marquis of Bute, under Mr. Galloway’s careful superintendence.
The building is still surrounded by its burial-ground. The plan (Fig.
181) shows a simple oblong church, 34 feet in length by 20 feet in
width, with an oblong chancel 20 feet 3 inches long by 16 feet wide. The
side walls were considerably damaged, but enough of them remained
[Illustration: FIG. 180.--Cruggleton Church. Chancel Arch. From
South-East.]