the choir (Fig. 1244), and in those of the interior of the oriel windows
in the great hall of Stirling Castle adjoining (Fig. 1245), at
Torphichen, and other late churches; and in the capitals of the
clustered jambs of the hall fireplaces in many castles throughout the
country. It will be observed from Fig. 1243 that the nave aisles are
vaulted with groined arches, while the central nave has a wooden roof.
The Plan (see Fig. 1238) shows that the two piers of the fifth bay from
the west end of the nave consist of a semi-round attached to a square.
These formed the west piers of the crossing. The next piers (the first
in the choir) are, like the last, of large size, and suggest that a
[Illustration: FIG. 1243.--Stirling Parish Church. Interior of Nave from
North Aisle, looking West.]
central tower was contemplated, if not built. There was, over the
crossing, an upper room known as the king’s room, from which the service
could be seen. It was destroyed about the middle of this century. The
room was reached by a wheel staircase in the north wall, where the door
leading to it is still to be seen. This staircase is now filled with the
chimney flues of a heating apparatus. The bay between the tower piers
is arched with round arches, which are now almost concealed, this part
of the church being occupied with modern staircases, vestries, and
gallery. A round arch also spanned the church between the eastmost of
the two piers of the crossing. The latter arch was taken down about the
year
[Illustration: FIG. 1244.--Stirling Parish Church. Piers, Caps, and Arch
Mouldings in Choir.] 1869, thus destroying the room above, and the pier
was enlarged. From the enlarged part a pointed arch was thrown across,
thus sacrificing the beauty and fitness of the church, in order to
introduce a small gallery. About the same time the interior stone work
was, unfortunately, redressed.
Fig. 1247, together with the view from south-west, above referred to,
gives some idea of the effect of the apse and the picturesque appearance
of the church as seen from the north-east. The south side of the
building
[Illustration: FIG. 1245.--Stirling Castle. Oriel in Great Hall.]
has been lamentably injured by a kind of great porch or transept erected
in the centre, which gives access to the two churches into which the
edifice is now divided.
Of the building of the east end or choir interesting particulars are
given in the Register of Dunfermline. In the year 1507 an agreement was
entered into between James Beaton, Abbot of Dunfermline, and the Town
Council and community of Stirling, wherein it is stated that the latter
having “takin apon hand to big and compleitlie edifye, and end ane gud
and sufficient queyr conformand to the body of the peroch kirk of the
said burght,” they were to deliver to the abbot the “body” of the parish
church (that is the west end or nave) to be used by the Convent as a
“queir ay and quhill the said queyr now to be biggit, be fully and
compleitlie biggit and endit.” Under this arrangement the Convent was to
[Illustration: FIG. 1246.--Stirling Parish Church. Interior of Choir.]
pay £200 Scots, and to provide all the ornaments necessary for the high
altar and for the upholding of the same, and promised infeftment yearly
[Illustration: FIG. 1247.--Stirling Parish Church. View from
North-East.]
of 40s. Scots. On the other hand, the Council agree to uphold the queir
perpetually in all things “swa that the hie alter thair sall be honestly
and honourably uphalding in the said ornaments as thai resceve the
samyn thairto fra the said abbot and Convent.” By the year 1520 the work
appears to have proceeded so far that a service, by order of the Provost
and Bailies, was held in the choir, but it does not appear to have been
then quite finished, as in 1523 Robart Arnot, “Maister of the kirk
wark,” is ordered to make payment for timber for the queir.[127] The
choir (see Fig. 1247) consists of three bays with north and south
aisles, and an eastern apse of five sides. The latter is applied like an
oriel window to the east end of the church, somewhat in the same way as
the apse of St. Michael’s, Linlithgow. It is wider than the central
division of the choir, and fits on awkwardly to it, causing the two side
divisions of the apse to be lost to view when one looks from the west
end (see Fig. 1246). The vaulting of the apse is managed in a peculiar
manner, arches being introduced
[Illustration: FIG. 1248.--Stirling Parish Church. Plan of Chapel of St.
Andrew.]
on each side in order to bring the central space into a form as nearly a
parallelogram as possible, and thus enable it to be covered with a
pointed barrel vault, strengthened with small ribs.[128] The mullions of
the apse are treated somewhat like perpendicular work.
The side aisles are vaulted with stone, and the tracery is modern. The
piers are of an ordinary late section (see Fig. 1244), and the details
recall the later work of St. Giles’, Edinburgh. The caps are of the
character of many late Scottish buildings, such as St. Giles’ and St.
Michael’s (choir), the abacus containing a number of straight members,
while the bed moulding breaks round the mouldings of the piers. The
small shreds
[Illustration: FIG. 1249.--Stirling Parish Church. Interior of Chapel of
St. Andrew.]
of foliage introduced are very peculiar. The bases also recall some of
the above buildings. There is no triforium, and the clerestory windows,
which are round-headed, are brought down to the string course
immediately over
[Illustration: FIG. 1250.--Stirling Parish Church.