In passing from the Middle Pointed to the Late Pointed periods in
Scotland, we do not find any distinct break in the style of architecture
such as exists between the First and Second Pointed periods. The middle
pointed style passes by gentle gradation into the late pointed style,
and there is some difficulty in fixing the period when the one ceases
and the other begins. When buildings such as Melrose Abbey and Lincluden
College are compared with Dunglass, Corstorphine, and other collegiate
churches of the late period, the difference of style is very apparent,
and it is at once seen that these edifices belong to different
categories. But between such examples as Haddington Church and Paisley
Abbey the distinction of style is not at first sight so striking. It is
only when the whole character of the architecture is considered that it
can be determined to which category each structure belongs. Although the
line of division is thus to a certain extent arbitrary, there are some
characteristics of the third pointed period which are peculiar to it,
and render it a distinct and well marked epoch. This period, although
inferior in many respects to those which preceded it, yet comprises more
than any other certain elements which give it a claim to be considered
peculiarly Scottish and national.
Many of the structures described in Vol II. as belonging (in part at
least) to the decorated period bear some resemblance to those of the
same style in England. These edifices are mostly of considerable size,
and contain all the usual divisions of choir, nave, and transept, nearly
always with aisles. They are also generally vaulted with groined vaults,
having wooden roofs above the vaults. The details of the buildings are
likewise of similar character in both localities.
As in the preceding period, the large churches of the third pointed
period in Scotland are nearly all restorations. No new churches of great
size were undertaken. Some of the older large churches which had been
damaged were reconstructed, but the new churches erected were almost
entirely confined to parish or collegiate structures. The largest new
church is that of Trinity College in Edinburgh, founded by the widowed
queen of James II. Only a few of the larger of these churches have
aisles, and are roofed with groined vaulting.
Most of the new edifices of the late pointed style in Scotland differ
from those in England in many particulars. The Scottish churches are, as
already stated, usually smaller in size, and consist of single
compartments without aisles. Although frequently designed as cross
churches, with choir, nave, and transepts, they are rarely finished, the
choir or the choir and transepts being often the only portions carried
out. The east end frequently terminates with a three-sided apse. This
feature is almost entirely characteristic of the late pointed period. It
undoubtedly owes its origin to the Scottish alliance and intercourse
with France. But the leading and distinguishing feature of our late
pointed style is the vaulting, the pointed barrel vault being almost
universally employed. We have seen that a pointed barrel vault was used
at Lincluden and Bothwell collegiate churches. It was, however, in the
later edifices, after the middle of the fifteenth century, that that
form of vault came into general use. This kind of arch was of simple
construction, and was much employed in the castles of the period, being
found convenient--first, because it was of easy construction; and
second, because it could conveniently carry a roof composed of
overlapping stones. This style of roof had the double advantage of being
fireproof, and in the case of the castles, where it was often kept flat,
of forming a platform from which the defenders could operate.
It has already been pointed out[4] that many features of domestic
architecture were at this time imported into ecclesiastical
architecture, and the above feature of the pointed barrel vault carrying
a stone roof is the first and most important.
In carrying out this kind of vaulting in churches, several difficulties
were encountered and had to be overcome. The most serious of these
difficulties was the junction of the transepts, or side chapels, with
the choir and nave. In the earlier Gothic churches this was managed by
running the vault of the transepts or chapels into that of the nave, and
forming a groin at the intersection. But the peculiarity of the late
Scottish churches is that they carefully avoid all groins and
intersections of arches. The junction of the vaults at the above
intersections is, therefore, managed by a special contrivance, viz., by
keeping the barrel vaults of the transepts or chapels quite apart from
those of the central nave, the side vaults being stopped on gables
carried up on arches in the line of the main side walls to receive them.
The main nave vault is thus carried throughout the whole length of the
central nave without a break, and where the opening into the transepts
or chapels occurs, the main vault rests on an arch thrown across the
side openings in the line of the main walls, and at a level below the
springing of the main vault. The outer stone roofs of the transepts are
also kept independent of that of the central nave, and do not mitre into
it.
The windows of these churches, which have nearly always pointed
arch-heads, are necessarily placed at a low level, so as to allow the
point of the arch-head to come beneath the spring of the main vault.
This is done so as to avoid even a small groin, such as would be
required if the window arch-head were carried up into the main vault.
The object is two-fold--first, to escape the difficulty of the
intersection of the vaults; and second, to avoid the small gablets over
the windows and the small stone roofs and valleys which would be
required at the junction of these with the main external stone roofs.
The above features are all well exemplified at Ladykirk, Seton College,
Corstorphine, and many other churches.
It should be borne in mind that the vaulting in England in the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries had also to some extent reverted to the plan of
relying chiefly for strength on plain surface vaulting, and not on the
ribs as in the earlier period. The example from Winchester Cathedral[5]
helps to explain this. The intersection of the vaults is there very
slight, and the numerous ribs introduced are almost all used
ornamentally. This is also the case in the fan vaulting, so common in
England in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, in which the ribs or
tracery are applied as ornaments on the surface of the vaults.
Ornamental ribs are not uncommon in Scottish roofs. An early example,
somewhat similar to that at Winchester, still exists over the presbytery
of Melrose Abbey, where the intersection of the vaults is almost
entirely abandoned, and numerous ornamental surface ribs are introduced.
In later examples, however, the intersection of the vaults is completely
given up, and any ribs employed are useless except as ornaments. Such
are the roofs of St. Mirren’s Chapel, Paisley, and the choir of Seton
College.
An example of the shifts the builders were put to in order to escape
intersecting vaults may be seen in the apse of Stirling Church. In other
examples, such as Dunglass and Queensferry, the nave, choir, and
transepts have walls carried up on the four sides of the crossing,
against which the pointed barrel vaults are stopped, and access is
furnished to the various arms of the church by small archways like
doorways in the walls. At Whitekirk the crossing is exceptional, having
a groined vault; but the choir, &c., have pointed barrel vaults, which
stop upon walls at the crossing.
In the case of the apse of Linlithgow Church the difficulty of the
intersection of the apse with the choir vault was avoided by sticking on
the apse against the east end wall, like a large bow window. This
enabled the apse windows to be carried to a good height. Generally
speaking the windows in the apse are very low, being kept down below the
main arch, and admit little light, thus rendering the vault extremely
dark, as, for instance, at Seton Church.
In most of the collegiate churches the barrel vaults supported a roof
composed of carefully wrought flag-stones. These stones are arranged in
courses, running from the eaves to the ridge, and every alternate course
is higher than, and rests on, the edges of the intermediate courses.
Each stone also overlaps the course which is below it in the slope of
the roof. There is thus a considerable amount of cutting and fitting
required, which is usually carefully executed. Sometimes each stone is
hollowed in the centre, so as to carry the water away from the joints.
The gutters are also wrought in stone on the same principle. Roofs of
this description might evidently be made almost level, and in the case
of many of the castles (as on the keep of Craigmillar Castle) that is
done, and a platform for defence is thus created. In the churches,
however, the stone roofs are usually pretty steep.
It is remarkable that this form of roof was a reproduction in Scotland,
in the fifteenth century, of a fireproof form of construction which was
much used in Provence in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. But in this
country it was to all appearance an independent invention, as Provence
in the fifteenth century was, architecturally speaking, very remote, and
was cut off from Scotland by the intermediate styles of England and
France.
It should be noted that the pointed barrel vault, although very general,
was not universally employed in Scotland during the third period. One or
two notable examples of well constructed groined vaults are to be found,
such as the vaulting of Trinity College Church and that of “Blackader’s
Aisle” in Glasgow Cathedral. But these are exceptions to the general
rule.
In Rosslyn College we have the finest example of the late Scottish forms
of vaulting carried out to their fullest extent, together with some
exceptional designs. This church differs from most of the other
collegiate churches in having side aisles, and also in having groined
vaults in the east end. The plan of the latter portion of the building,
being copied from the arrangement at the east end of Glasgow Cathedral,
has been carried out with groining, in imitation of the original; but in
the other parts of the structure the vaulting conforms to that of the
third pointed period in Scotland. The main central roof is covered with
a continuous pointed barrel vault without a break, except an ornamental
rib over each division of the bays. The soffits of each panel of the
arch thus formed are carved with stars, fleur-de-lys, and other
enrichments. The side aisles are also covered with a series of pointed
barrel vaults. Each of these aisle vaults forms an extension of the main
pier arch of the choir, carried across the aisle at right angles to the
main choir. The Scottish plan of avoiding groins is thus adhered to. The
above arrangement of the aisle vaults also enables the aisle windows to
be carried up to a good height. The barrel vaults across the aisles rest
on flat arches (made to resemble straight lintels), which run between
the caps of the main piers and the responds against the walls. The whole
construction recalls that of a castle with a large central hall roofed
with a barrel vault, and having a series of side chambers entering off
it, each covered with its separate barrel vault running at right angles
to the main building. If the partitions between these side chambers were
removed, and plain arches or lintels substituted, the construction would
be exactly that of Rosslyn Church. Such a series of chambers, with
barrel vaults running at right angles to a passage, is of common
occurrence in the ground floors of the Scottish castles. An exceptional
feature connected with the main vault of Rosslyn Church is that the same
stones which form the interior arch also form the outside roof--the
usual overlapping stone covering being omitted, possibly to avoid the
extra weight. The exterior of the roof is thus curved like the interior.
During the late pointed period many varieties of details were indulged
in. The buttresses are generally somewhat stunted. They are plain and
solid, and have often rather elaborate canopies and corbels for statues
placed on the front of the buttresses, without recessed niches. The
buttresses have frequently numerous set-offs, and are generally finished
with stunted square pinnacles having crocketed finials. The windows are
almost always pointed, and contain simple tracery derived from the
earlier styles. The copying of the forms of the older styles is
specially noticeable in the windows and traceries.
At Ladykirk, the unusual form of elliptical windows is introduced,
probably in order to admit as much light as possible at the haunches. As
above explained, there are generally no aisles, and the windows, being
kept down below the springing of the main arch, are, as usual, low, and
here leave on the exterior a high space of blank wall above them.
The above form of construction does not require or admit of a triforium
and clerestory. At Rosslyn, where there are side aisles, the side walls
of the choir are carried up so as to permit of clerestory windows. The
tracery is almost always set in the centre of the wall, and the same
mouldings, usually double chamfers, are repeated in the reveal both on
the inside and outside.
Where the choir, nave, and transepts have square ends, there is
generally a large traceried window carried up in the gable under the
barrel vault of the roof, by which the principal light in the church is
obtained.
The details of the late pointed churches in Scotland have comparatively
little connection with the late work either in England or France, but
some signs exist of importations from both these countries.
At Melrose Abbey, Linlithgow Church and Palace, and a few other places,
there are distinct indications of the influence of the perpendicular
style of England; while the French influence is traceable in the apsidal
terminations of the choir and occasionally of the transepts, and in some
approaches to Flamboyant tracery. The latter influence may probably have
also led to the crown-like terminations of some of the church towers. On
the whole, however, it will be found that the details of the Scottish
late pointed period are peculiar to itself, and are principally founded
on survivals and revivals of details of the earlier styles.
The doorways, for instance, are generally of the old, round-headed form,
with late foliage and enrichments. The common English perpendicular
doorway, with four-centred arch enclosed in a square frame, is never met
with; and although elliptical or three-centred arches occur over
doorways and windows, the four-centred arch-head is never used. Fan
tracery vaulting is also entirely absent in Scotland.
Porches to doorways are occasionally introduced, as at Aberdeen
Cathedral and Whitekirk; and smaller porches are formed by arches thrown
between buttresses, as at Rosslyn and Trinity College Churches.
Coats of arms are very commonly carved on shields at this period, and
are often useful in determining the dates of portions of the buildings,
monuments, &c.
A tower is generally erected, or intended, over the crossing, and is
carried on the four walls, which, as we have seen, were generally built
in this position, in order to stop the four barrel vaults of the
different divisions of the church. The towers are somewhat stunted, and
they are usually finished with short, stunted spires, having a number of
lucarnes, or small dormer windows, inserted in them. The latter feature
was probably imported from France or the Low Countries, where similar
dormers abound in late work.
Monuments are of more common occurrence than in the earlier periods.
They are frequently placed in arched and canopied recesses, which are
ornamented with crocketed labels and finials. The carving of the
crockets and other foliage is, doubtless, founded on the conventional
perpendicular foliage of England. This, however, is mixed with a
considerable revival of carving, copied from older work.
The introduction of numerous small figures of men and animals is a
peculiarity of the period generally, and is found both at home and
abroad. Much of the carving of Rosslyn Church is of this description,
and similar carving may be seen at Melrose Abbey and Stirling Castle,
and on the rood screens in Glasgow Cathedral and Lincluden College.
Elaborate figure carving is common in other countries at this period, as
at Henry VII.’s Chapel, Westminster, and in the churches of France and
Spain.
Richly carved sacrament houses, such as are occasionally introduced, are
a further indication of the taste for minute sculpture which prevailed
at this time. It is not unusual to find in late buildings that some of
the smaller features, such as sedilias, piscinas, and heraldic work,
are well designed and carved with much spirit. Perhaps some of this good
carving may be due to the French masons who, we know, were numerous in
Scotland during the reigns of James IV. and especially of James V.[6]
During the period now under consideration, the structures chiefly
erected were, as already mentioned, either parish or collegiate
churches. A considerable number of the latter were built and endowed by
private founders during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A list of
the collegiate churches existing in Scotland at the Reformation is given
by Dr. David Laing in his preface to _The Collegiate Churches of
Mid-Lothian_.[7] They amounted, according to that list, to thirty-eight
in number, and were spread over nearly every county in Scotland. Only
two of these had been founded in the fourteenth century, the remaining
thirty-six being all founded during the fifteenth century and the first
half of the sixteenth century.
The structures connected with a considerable number of these college
churches are more or less perfectly preserved, and these, as well as
several others not mentioned by Dr. Laing, are described in the
following pages.
Many of these establishments had previously existed as parish churches
or chapels before they were enlarged and made collegiate, and endowed by
the munificence of the founders.