The earliest notice in history of Dundee occurs in the first charter of
Lindores Abbey, executed before 1198, in which the Church of Dundee is
bestowed on the abbey. The church then existing is stated to have been
erected by Earl David of Huntingdon, as a thankoffering for his escape
from a great tempest. The Church of Dundee thus belonged to the Abbey of
Lindores, which stood on the opposite side of the Frith of Tay, and a
little further up the river.
In the time of Abbot James of Rossy (1442), an agreement was entered
into between the abbot and the Provost and Burgesses of Dundee, by which
the latter took on themselves the construction and maintenance
[Illustration: FIG. 1047.--Dundee Church Tower. View from North-West.]
of the choir of the Parish Church of Dundee.[75] The only portion of the
ancient parish church which now remains is the western tower (Fig.
1047). Although this structure had no immediate connection with the
choir, it has evidently, as its style shows, been erected about the
middle of the fifteenth century, probably about the time when the choir
was built by the Provost and Burgesses in terms of the above agreement.
Three parish churches in connection with the tower were gradually
developed from the original chapel. They comprised a large cruciform
[Illustration: FIG. 1048.--Dundee Church Tower. Plan.]
structure, the various portions of which were called St. Mary’s, or the
East Church; St. Paul’s, or the South Church; and St. Clement’s, or the
West Church. The structure was greatly damaged by the English before the
Union, and St. Clement’s had suffered so much that it required to be
rebuilt in 1789. The three churches were almost totally destroyed by
fire in 1841, and in consequence the choir and transepts were thereafter
rebuilt, St. Mary’s still occupying the choir, St. Paul’s the transept,
and St. Clement’s the nave.
The ancient tower has escaped these various destructions and
restorations, and is now the only representative of the church erected
in the fifteenth century. It is a large and massive structure, measuring
about 40 feet square over the walls (Fig. 1048), which are about 8 feet
thick. Its total height is about 165 feet. The tower forms a prominent
object in all views of the town. It contains in the lower stage the
western
[Illustration: FIG. 1049.--Dundee Church Tower. West Doorway.]
doorway to St. Clement’s Church, or the nave (Fig. 1049), consisting of
two round arched doorways, 8 feet 11 inches high, comprised within a
larger circular or elliptical arch, which again is enclosed by a square
moulding. The arch mouldings are enriched with foliage. The jambs and
central pillar are moulded (Fig. 1050) with alternate rounds and
hollows. The carved capitals have a continuous abacus, enriched either
with rosettes or flowing foliage. In the spandril over the centre shaft
there is a circular panel, enclosing the Virgin and Child; and below, on
a shield, are the arms of the Diocese of Brechin. “The late Bishop
Forbes blazoned them _Argent_, three piles in point gules; but Dr.
Woodward thinks they should be _Or_, three piles in point gules.”[76]
This doorway, as well as much else about the tower, was greatly restored
by Sir Gilbert Scott, and probably only certain of the carvings are
genuine. One of these, which has not been touched, represents, on the
ingoing of the northern capital, a boar eating acorns from a branch. It
is quite in the spirit of such scenes as occur on the ancient sculptured
stones which are so abundant in the neighbourhood of Dundee. The base is
peculiar (see Fig. 1050). It projects but little beyond the outer member
of the jamb, and the face is upright; but considerable effect is
obtained by the curved terminations of the various members. Above the
doorway rises a lofty traceried
[Illustration: FIG. 1050.--Dundee Church Tower. Details of West
Doorway.]
window (Fig. 1051) divided, in the late Scottish mode, by a large
central mullion having two arched branches which form two principal
openings, each filled with late tracery of the ordinary kind. Above this
window the tower is vaulted. In connection with this vaulting and what
appears to have been an apartment below it there are some peculiarities.
The floor of the tower is about 12 inches lower than the ground at the
entrance, and the height from the floor to the groined ceiling is about
47 feet. It will be observed from the Plan and Fig. 1051 that at each of
the four corners there is a large circular shaft, measuring about 13¼
inches diameter. Each individual shaft is fitted into its position in a
manner different from the others. These differences are not of a slight
or accidental kind, but appear to have been purposely made, there not
having been any “restoration” on this part of the building. At the inner
or eastern shafts (Fig. 1052) the walls are considerably bevelled
towards
[Illustration: FIG. 1051.--Dundee Church Tower. Interior, looking
West.]
[Illustration: FIG. 1052.--Dundee Church Tower. Interior, looking
East.]
the opening into the nave, and form parts of the piers of the great
archway from the tower into the church. This opening, which is now
blocked up, was about 17 feet 10 inches wide, and was arched beneath the
vaulting (see Fig. 1052). The tall angle shafts have bases and caps, the
mouldings of the latter being continued along the bevelled walls.
The vaulting ribs do not spring directly from the four angle shafts, as
there appears to have been an intermediate floor of timber (or a gallery
along the sides), which rested on the angle shafts and on large corbels
visible in the side walls. Over each of the main shafts there rises, for
about three feet or so, a group of very delicate shafting, having carved
caps, from which spring the ribs of the groining. These delicate shafts
are quite a contrast to the massive lower shafts, and, at first sight,
suggest the idea of a great change having been effected in the vaulting
at some later period. The mouldings above the small upper shafts are
carried along the west wall and ingoing of the large window (see Fig.
1051). There is a considerable resemblance between the treatment here
and that at the large west window in Paisley Abbey. There are stone
benches round three sides of the tower.
Over the large west window there is another window (see Fig. 1047), with
round arch-head, entirely filled with tracery, composed of small cusped
circles, and above it a two-light pointed window. The tracery in the
first of these windows recalls that in the tower windows of Iona
Cathedral.
The tower is divided into two principal stages by an enriched parapet
and outside passage, which surround it above the last mentioned window,
at a height to the walk of about 96 feet. The parapet is pierced with
quatrefoils and ornamented with crocketed pinnacles. The lower stage of
the tower has boldly projected buttresses, which are just carried as
high as is necessary for resisting the pressure of the vaulting, and
each is crowned with a crocketed pinnacle, having a small flying
buttress attached. Above these buttresses the tower is carried up with
square angles, like most of the Scottish towers of the period. The upper
stage has the wall set back, so as to allow of the passage round, and is
divided into two stories. The lower story is the belfry and has triple
pointed and cusped openings in the various sides, except the north side,
where, owing to the space occupied by the staircase, there are only two
openings. There is a bead on the angles of this story. The upper story
appears to project slightly over the lower story, and contains two
pointed and cusped windows over the solids, between the windows beneath
them. The north side has only one such window. The tower is crowned with
a cornice and an elaborate pierced parapet, having corbelled pinnacles
at intervals, the ornamental upper parts of which are unfortunately
wanting. The ornamentation of the parapet strongly resembles that of the
tower of St. Giles’, Edinburgh. The roof of the tower is of the
saddle-back kind,
[Illustration: FIG. 1053.--Dundee Church Tower. View from North-East.]
having gables towards the east and west, a form of roof with which
ancient Scottish towers were often crowned.
Although the tower is thus finished, a careful examination shows that it
was undoubtedly meant to have an open crown termination, but for what
reason the idea was abandoned we cannot tell. The preparations exist for
the springing of the angle arches. When the tower lately underwent
renovation, it was proposed to remove the present cape house and put up
a crown; and a design for this was prepared, and is engraved in Lamb’s
_Book of Old Dundee_. Very fortunately the design was not carried out.
Attached to the north-east angle is a boldly projected stair turret,
which ascends from the foundation to the summit. Figs. 1047 and 1053
illustrate this feature. The pierced parapet at the top returns round
it, and the turret is finished with a pointed roof. A great many
loopholes in the turret show the number of the winding spirals of the
staircase. In the view (Fig. 1053) there is seen on the east side of the
tower a plain, square-headed window, having four brackets arranged
around it. We presume these were for supporting figures. Beneath them,
and near the ridge of the church roof, there is a panel with a coat of
arms, which is too far off to be made out.
This tower is undoubtedly the boldest and most striking edifice of its
kind and date in Scotland.