smaller attached half-columns on three sides to carry the moulded arches
between the main piers and the arches between the latter and the aisles.
The piers have caps of the usual Norman modified cushion pattern, and
the arches were moulded and arranged in several orders. The arcade
immediately over the main arches has a row of single round shafts, with
spreading Norman caps, which carry a series of moulded arches, occupying
the position of the triforium. The upper arcade, which takes the place
of the clerestory, has shafts of triple form, with wide-spreading bases
and caps of Norman and transition design. On the latter rest the round
boldly-moulded arches. The arches opposite the windows in the outer wall
are slightly larger than the others. It will be observed that there is
no main vaulting shaft carried up over the main piers, as is almost
invariably the case, for the purpose of strengthening the wall. On the
contrary, the triforium arcade is continuous, and no provision is made
to support the side wall, except the single shafts of the running
arcade, which have a very weak effect. In the usual arrangement the
triforium arches are separated by a substantial piece of wall, including
a vaulting shaft, and the triforium arch, which is generally subdivided
into several subordinate arches, is introduced between the vaulting
shafts.
That is a much more substantial form of construction, and also more
satisfactory to the eye, than the plan adopted here of a simple
continuous arcade.
[Illustration: FIG. 317.--Kelso Abbey. North End of Transept.]
The clerestory is designed on the same principle as the triforium, and
consists of a continuous arcade, without the interruption of the
vaulting shafts.
In the view of the exterior of this portion of the choir (Fig. 313), the
outside of the windows of the clerestory is visible, being simple
round-headed openings, with flat buttresses between them. The remainder
of the wall is plain, but, judging from the level of the triforium
window, the vaulting of the aisle, which was very high, and partly
covered the windows, seems to have been added at a later date. The choir
was 28 feet in width from centre to centre of the piers, only two of
which survive.
The crossing is square, and measures 28 feet from centre to centre of
the piers; but of these the north-east one is wanting. The piers are
about nine feet square, that at the south-east angle standing detached
in consequence of the opening into the south aisle, while those at the
north-west and south-west angles are incorporated with the walls.
The piers are designed as a series of shafts set in square nooks (four
on each of the complete sides), with a larger semicircular shaft at each
angle. (See Figs. 312 and 314.) The shafts are all built in courses with
the piers. They have transition bases and caps. From the latter spring
large pointed arches, with plain chamfered orders. The pointed arch
indicates the transitional character of this part of the building. It
was probably introduced in this position to give strength to sustain the
tower.
As already mentioned, the three arms of the cross branching to the
north, south, and west from the crossing are of equal size. This is a
[Illustration: FIG. 318.--Kelso Abbey. Doorway of North Transept.]
very unusual arrangement, the western arm or nave being generally much
the longest division of the church. We have not heard any satisfactory
explanation given of the shortness of the nave of Kelso. This
arrangement of plan has apparently been part of the original design, as
the western doorway (Figs. 315 and 316) is one of the most prominently
Norman portions of the edifice. The upper part of the west front (see
Fig. 315), although much broken away, has been in the transition style;
while the Norman arcading, which runs round the interior of the nave,
was continued across the west end.
The nave and the north and south transept each measure about 22 feet in
width by 18 feet in length. Each contains four stories in height (Figs.
315 and 317), consisting of an interlacing arcade of Norman work in the
interior of the ground level, and three stories of windows above. The
upper arcades of the choir do not extend round the nave and transepts,
except in a portion of the south transept. (See Fig. 312.) Another
arrangement was found desirable in those portions where there were no
aisles, as windows could be obtained in that case; while, with aisles
(as in the choir), the first floor was darkened by the roof of the
[Illustration: FIG. 319.--Kelso Abbey. Plan of Doorway in North
Transept.]
aisles. The windows in the different stories of the nave and transept
have all round arches, both outside (see Fig. 315) and inside, the
former having one plain square-edged order supported on nook shafts. Of
these the caps and bases only are now for the most part in existence.
The exterior is marked at each angle by broad and shallow Norman
buttresses, with nook shafts in the angles, and an interlacing arcade
running round the lower story, both internally and externally.
In the façades of the west end and north transept the windows of the
different stories have been grouped so as to form distinct designs. In
the west end, over the great west doorway (see Fig. 315), there has been
an arrangement of tall windows of apparently lancet form, having on
either side an interlacing arcade of round arches, supported on tall
banded shafts. This is now, unfortunately, greatly destroyed. Above the
arcade there runs a horizontal flat cornice, enriched with several rows
of carved ornaments, and this was surmounted by a large opening of
quatrefoil shape, surrounded with numerous mouldings and enrichments.
The angle buttresses have been crowned with octagonal turrets.
[Illustration: FIG. 320.--Kelso Abbey. Section through Transept from
North to South.]
The north wall of the north transept (see Fig. 317) has a fine
transition door-piece (Fig. 318), which occupies the two lower stories.
The next two stories have two windows in each, separated by a small
buttress, the upper one of these stories having three arches in the
interior. (See Fig. 314.) Above these stories is a small circular
window, with a curious saving arch over it, and the whole is crowned
with a top story, containing three round-headed openings, and a gable
with a small circular aperture. The buttresses at the angles are crowned
with circular turrets, which have been finished with a projecting
parapet, the corbels for carrying which still survive. The upper part of
the gable shows signs of having been altered.
It may be pointed out that the west front and the façade of the north
transept are good illustrations of the Norman and Transition styles
[Illustration: FIG. 321.--Kelso Abbey. Plan at Triforium Level, showing
Passages in Walls, &c.]
of designing such elevations. The north transept shows the early manner
of dividing the façade into several stories, piled one above the other;
while the west front, which is chiefly in the transition style,
indicates the beginning of the later form of façade, in which the whole
front is treated as a single design.
The west doorway and the north door-piece are especially interesting.
The former is a remarkably rich specimen of the elaborate carved work
which characterised the late Norman period. Unfortunately, the south
half of this door-piece has perished. But, from what remains (see Fig.
315), it is evident that it consisted of a large door-piece, or
quasi-porch, projecting upwards of 5 feet, and finished with a sloping
gable, with
[Illustration: FIG. 322.--Kelso Abbey. Plan at Clerestory Level, showing
Passages in Walls, &c.]
stone roof. The jambs (see Fig. 316) contained five detached shafts set
in nooks, and having Norman bases and carved caps. Over each of these
shafts there springs a circular order, carved with rich Norman ornament,
now, however, very much decayed. The jambs of the doorway also formed
moulded shafts, supporting their order in the arch.
The door-piece in the north wall of the transept (see Fig. 318) is also
a prominent feature. It projects about 4 feet 6 inches from the main
wall, is carried up two stories, and is roofed in with a sloping stone
roof.
The lower story contains the doorway (Fig. 319), which is 5 feet 6
inches wide, and has plain jambs. It is set back about 3 feet 6 inches,
and the ingoing for about 2 feet is square, and contains two shafts of
ordinary size, with a small one between them; then follows a nook
containing a shaft, and then the jamb. The shafts have the usual Norman
caps and bases. The mouldings of the arch (see enlarged outline in Fig.
319) are peculiar in their profile. They are enriched--the outer one
with small medallions, the central one with the billet, and the inner
one with rosettes. Above the archway there is an arcade of interlacing
round arches, the shafts, which are gone, having Norman caps. The
tympanum of the gable is covered with a reticulation of round beads or
rolls.
[Illustration: FIG. 323.--Kelso Abbey. Upper Stages of Tower.]
The tower (see Figs. 315 and 320), of which the south and west sides and
a small portion of the north and east sides remain, is 35 feet square
over the walls. It is carried up with plain masonry externally, but the
interior has immediately over the great arches of the crossing an arcade
of round moulded arches, supported on triple shafts similar to those of
the choir. Above this arcade is another story containing simple round
arched openings, which are lighted on the exterior by circular windows
containing quatrefoils. Over this tier is the top story, which contains
three pointed and deeply-recessed windows on each side of the tower.
Broad flat buttresses are placed at each angle of the tower, similar to
those of the main building, and these were, no doubt, originally
finished with turrets like those of the transepts.
It has already been said that the upper part of the tower is later than
the lower part. This is apparent from the pointed windows of the top
story, and the quatrefoiled circular windows of the story beneath. The
lower story immediately over the great arches is, without doubt, of
about the same date as the choir.
The approach to the upper floors is now by one staircase in the
north-west angle of the transept, but there were, doubtless, other
similar staircases in parts of the structure now removed. This staircase
gives access to passages which run round the building on every floor
(Figs. 321 and 322) between the arcades and the outer walls. In the
angles of the tower there are small wheel stairs leading to every floor,
and passages running round the tower on every story (Fig. 323.) These
arcades and passages have tended to weaken the structure, which it has
been found necessary to strengthen with numerous iron tie-rods, iron
beams, &c.
There was an outer door in the south-west angle of the transept, and
another in the north wall of the nave adjoining the crossing.
[Illustration: FIG. 324.--Kelso Abbey. Caps and Enrichments of Arcade.]
The style of the caps of the arcade on the ground floor (Fig. 324) is
somewhat florid and unusual. The interlacing arches are also in some
places much carved and ornamented, and some portions are wonderfully
well preserved.
A recess for a tomb is seen in the south wall of the transept (see Fig.
312), and in the recess beneath there are two ambries or lockers and a
piscina, the only one remaining in the building.
To the south of the transept there is a vaulted chamber, 26 feet long by
10 feet 6 inches wide, which may have been the sacristy. It has a wide
entrance from the west, and an arcade with detached shafts and round
arches has run along each side. There has been a window at the east end,
and in the north-east angle a passage leading at a doorway to the
exterior, and also probably into the church.
ST. MARTIN’S CHURCH, HADDINGTON.
This ruined structure stands on a slightly-elevated site at the east end
of the Nungate, a suburb of the town of Haddington, on the right bank of
the Tyne. The Nungate is joined to the town by an ancient bridge of
three wide arches and two smaller ones. St. Martin’s belonged to the
Abbey or Nunnery of Haddington, which was situated about one mile to the
east of the town. The nunnery was founded in 1178 by Ada, Countess of
Northumberland, widow of Prince Henry (son of David I.), and mother of
Malcolm IV. and William the Lion. The abbey is now entirely demolished,
and not a stone of it remains. St.
[Illustration: FIG. 325.--St. Martin’s, Haddington. Plan.]
Martin’s Chapel is the only ecclesiastical structure connected with it
which still survives. In 1567 the prioress, with consent of the chapter,
disponed the greater part of the lands of the abbey, which were
conferred by Queen Mary on William Maitland of Lethington.
The chapel has all the appearance of being very ancient, “and probably
existed as a church when Alexander de St. Martin gave over to the
prioress and nuns his lands and tenements of St. Martinsgate.”[183]
It is a simple oblong (Fig. 325), 55 feet in length by 16 feet 6 inches
in width internally, and appears originally to have had no buttresses;
but several have been added at a later date. The side walls are 4 feet 6
inches in thickness, but do not appear to have been sufficiently strong
to resist the thrust of the barrel vault with which the building was
covered, and a portion of which (Fig. 326) still exists.
In the east wall there is an opening (Fig. 327) with plain jambs and
round arch, which is sometimes called the doorway, but which is clearly
the chancel arch. From excavations made a few years ago, it was
ascertained that there were foundations of a choir 12 feet square, with
a square east wall. The arch is, doubtless, late Norman in design,
having a simple moulding on each jamb to form the imposts, and a plain
moulding running
[Illustration: FIG. 326.--St. Martin’s, Haddington. Interior of West
End.]
round the exterior of the arch stones on the side next the church. The
remains of a piscina adjoin the opening on the south side. The
round-headed windows in the side walls are tall and narrow, widely
splayed towards the interior, and covered with a large round arch on the
inside sconsion. There have originally been two entrance doors opposite
each other in the north and south walls, near the west end. The west
wall (Fig. 328) had a single-light window, similar to those in the side
walls; but it is now destroyed. The south doorway has been renewed, but
some portions of
[Illustration: FIG. 327.--St. Martin’s, Haddington. View from
South-East.]
the jambs of the north doorway still exist in a mutilated state. The
sconsion arch is segmental.
The vault is lofty, and there has evidently been a story above it, as is
apparent from the windows in the west gable. The gables are very steep
and lofty, and are so constructed in order to admit of rooms in the top
[Illustration: FIG. 328.--St. Martin’s, Haddington. View from
South-West.]
story. The plan of having an upper story of this kind was not uncommon
in early churches.
The window in the west gable is pointed, and it and the gables
themselves may be of later date than the original Norman church.
As already mentioned, three buttresses have been built against each of
the side walls. These are entirely constructed with ashlar work of a
white freestone, and those at the east and west ends have the ashlar
work let irregularly into the old walls, as would undoubtedly be the
case in an addition. Besides, they have steep water-tables, such as were
introduced in the first pointed style, but were not used in the Norman
period. The old walls are built with irregularly-coursed brown
freestone, which is greatly worn away, and presents quite a marked
contrast to the buttresses, which have stood the weather well. A
peculiarity of the old walls is that they have numerous holes, about 10
inches square in three courses in the height, running right through the
wall. These may have been putlog holes, used for scaffolding; but the
extraordinary thing is that they should all be left open. Possibly they
were only closed with a stone on the outside and inside, so as to be
easily made available at any time if required, and these stones may now
have fallen out. Similar rows of holes may be observed in the walls at
St. Helen’s and elsewhere.
The church is surrounded by a burial-ground, which was used for
interments within recent years, but is now abandoned.
KIRKLISTON CHURCH, LINLITHGOWSHIRE.
Some portions of the old Church of Kirkliston, situated about seven
miles west of Edinburgh, including the tower and two ancient doorways,
stand in the churchyard, on the high north-west bank of the Almond
Water, in the village of Kirkliston. The main body
[Illustration: FIG. 329.--Kirkliston Church. Plan.]
of the church, so far as can now be ascertained, was an oblong structure
(Fig. 329) about 60 feet in length by 26 feet in width externally, but
part of the north wall has been removed, so as to allow the church to be
extended. The old tower (Fig. 330) stands at the west end of the
structure. It is about 21 feet square, and has the solid buttresses
projecting on both sides of the angles, which indicate early
work--transition
[Illustration: FIG. 330.--Kirkliston Church. View from South-West.]
or first pointed. A square projection at the south-east angle of the
tower contains a wheel staircase. The windows are mere slits. The roof
of the tower is evidently comparatively new. It has a picturesque
seventeenth century belfry on the east gable.
There is an old archway in the east wall of the tower, which connected
it with the main building of the church.
[Illustration: FIG. 331.--Kirkliston Church. South Doorway.]
In the south wall of the church there still exists, though partly
restored, a splendid Norman doorway. (Fig. 331.) The doorway itself
measures 4 feet 9 inches in width, and the whole door-piece measures 14
feet 7 inches over all. Besides the attached rolls on the jambs, which
form shafts with caps, there are seven detached shafts on each side,
arranged alternately large and small, with three large ones at each
outer angle. These had all caps of transition form, but the carving is
now almost completely destroyed. The arch, which is semicircular, has
numerous mouldings, which are not arranged in the usual square orders,
but have
[Illustration: FIG. 332.--Kirkliston Church. North-East Doorway.]
received a freer treatment. The divisions may be regarded as composing
four orders, of which the inner order and the third order are enriched
with chevron ornaments. The hood moulding has also been carved with the
chevron, but the ornament has now almost all disappeared.
The wall of the church in which the above doorway stands is undoubtedly
of considerable antiquity, the cornice which carried the original
parapet being still _in situ_. (See Fig. 330.)
At the north-east angle of the existing church another Norman doorway,
removed from elsewhere in the building, has been re-erected. (Fig. 332.)
The round arch consists of three plain square orders, which spring from
the enriched caps of two nook shafts and the jamb moulding. Most of the
caps have a transition character, and the carving is fairly preserved.
At the south-east angle of the church is erected the burial-house of
John, Earl of Stair, born 1672, died 1747. Over the moulded doorway is
the inscription, “Virtute decet non id sanguine niti. 1629.”
Kirkliston from an early period belonged to the Knights Hospitallers of
St. John, who held much land in the locality. The church, as altered, is
still used as the parish church of Kirkliston.
[Illustration: FIG. 333.--St. Mary’s. Ratho. View of West End.]
ST. MARY’S CHURCH, RATHO, MID-LOTHIAN.
The village of Ratho lies about one and a quarter mile south from the
railway station of the same name, and about eight miles west from
Edinburgh.
The parish church is dedicated to St. Mary, and the “Lady’s Well,” in
the vicinity, is still in use. Although greatly altered and mostly
[Illustration: FIG. 334.--St. Mary’s, Ratho. South Doorway.]
rebuilt, the church still retains some indications of its Norman origin.
The view (Fig. 333) shows the west end of the church, crowned with its
belfry. The buttresses indicate considerable age, but it is scarcely
possible to fix their date. The only Norman relic preserved is the
doorway in the south-west wall (seen in the sketch). It is built against
by the wall of a wing, so that only a portion of the doorway remains
visible. This consists (Fig. 334) of one jamb, which had a nook shaft
and a cushion cap, carrying a plain round arch with a hood mould, carved
with a zigzag or saw-tooth ornament.
Ratho Church was connected with Holyrood Abbey, and was a rectory. In
1444 the tiends and patronage were, with the consent of the Archbishop
of St. Andrews, made over to the College Kirk of Corstorphine, which was
then established. By this means four prebendal stalls were endowed.
ST. PETER’S CHURCH,[184] PETERHEAD, ABERDEENSHIRE.
The remains of the Church of St. Peter, Peterhead (Fig. 335), consist of
the side walls of the chancel and the entire chancel arch, with a square
tower projecting outwards in the centre of the west wall of the nave. No
other portion of the nave remains. The tower and west wall are late, but
the chancel is of the Norman period. The arch is quite plain, and is
supported on square jambs having Norman cushion caps.
There is a supposed reference to the church in the Book of Deer, in
1132, concerning a gift consecrated to St. Peter, Columcille, and
Drostan, who “were the tutelar saints of the Churches of Peterhead, St.
Colms, and Deer, which were the only churches in the district dedicated
to these saints.”[185] Their endowments were then gifted to the great
Columban Church of Dunkeld, with which they remained till the founding
of the Abbey of Deer, in 1218, when, it is believed, the patronage of
the Church
[Illustration: FIG. 335.--St. Peter’s, Peterhead. View from South-East.]
of St. Peter, at Peterhead, was conveyed to that abbey by the charter of
foundation, now not known to exist.
ST. MARY’S CHURCH,[186] RUTHERGLEN, LANARKSHIRE.
Only the merest fragment of this ancient church now remains, consisting
of the east wall (Fig. 336), with an eastern tower attached to it. The
masonry of the east wall shows it to be of the Norman period. There has
been no opening of any kind in this wall. The returns of the chancel
walls are only indicated on the east wall by the slightest traces in the
jointing, so completely have they been cut away. The eastern tower (Fig.
337) is quite a unique feature in Scotland. It had no connection with
the church, although built against it, and is of later erection by
probably two or three centuries. The doorway is low and lintelled, and
has a simple splay. The upper part of the tower has apparently been
rebuilt, and, with the slated roof, dates doubtless from the seventeenth
century. The tower is about 10 feet 6 inches square inside, and about
34 feet high to the top of the masonry. It contains no stair.
In Ure’s _History of Rutherglen_ it is stated that there was a nave with
side aisles, 62 feet long by 25 feet wide, “exclusive of the additions
on the back and front;” that is, exclusive of the side aisles. Assuming
these to have been eight or ten feet wide, we should have a church
nearly corresponding in size with the present erection, built about a
century ago, and occupying the site of the nave, as shown in outline on
the plan, on which are also indicated the nave piers. The nave was thus
about 62 feet long by 45 feet wide, and the chancel was about 42 feet
long by 20 feet wide inside. Ure, by a mistake easily made, gives the
dimensions of the chancel as ten feet less in length. He also mentions
that there were five pillars on each side of the nave. This may mean
four whole pillars and two halves (the responds), as shown in the plan,
which, however, merely pretends to approximate to something like what
the original was.
[Illustration: FIG. 336.--St. Mary’s, Rutherglen. Plan.]