Carnwath is situated about two miles west from Carstairs Junction.
The original foundation of this church dates from a very early time. In
the middle of the twelfth century it was bestowed by William de
Sumerville on Glasgow Cathedral, which grant was confirmed by Pope
Alexander III. in 1170. The existing building is, however, of much more
recent date. It formed the north wing of the parish church, and was
added after a Collegiate foundation had been erected in 1425 by Thomas,
first Lord Somerville, for a provost and six prebendaries, and is thus
[Illustration: FIG. 1282.--Carnwath Church. Plan of North Transept.]
described in the _Memoire of the Somervilles_, written about the end of
the seventeenth century:--“The yle itself is but little, however neatly
and conveniently built opposite the middle (on the North side) of the
church; all aisles, both within and without, haveing pinickles upon all
the corners, wherein are engraven, besydes other imagerie the armes of
the Somervills and Sinclaires (the family of the wife of the founder),
very discernable to the occular aspectione, albeit it be two hundereth
and fyfie-eight years since they were placed there.”[134]
The parish church, which formerly consisted of chancel, nave, and
transept, has been removed, and there now only remains a portion of the
north transept, which has been used as the burial-place of the Lords
Carnwath-Somerville till the latter half of the seventeenth century, and
the Lockharts since then.
The building (Fig. 1282) stands north and south, and measures about 25
feet long by 22 feet 6 inches wide (externally). The style (Fig. 1283)
[Illustration: FIG. 1283.--Carnwath Church. View from North-West.]
is generally like that of the contemporary churches of Scotland; but the
large north window is remarkable from having a closer affinity than
usual with the English perpendicular. In order to carry the heavy stone
roof, shown in the sketch, the building is covered with a pointed barrel
vault such as is generally employed for this purpose; and, as frequently
happens, the vault is divided into bays, and is ornamented with
decorative ribs springing from shafts attached to the wall. Some of the
caps bear the arms of the founder and his spouse. The vaulting gives
rise to the massive buttresses employed, and to the depressed form of
the two-light square-headed side windows on each side, one of which is
seen in the sketch.
The building having been restored, several new features have been added.
Thus the belfry on the south gable and the cross on the north gable are
modern. The north doorway under the large window is also an insertion,
but is believed to have been formed with the stones of the old doorway
of the church. The pinnacles referred to in the above quoted description
still exist (although partly restored), but the coats of arms on the
buttresses are no longer visible. The outline of the arch in the south
gable, which formerly opened from the transept into the church, can
still be traced (see Plan).
The interior contains a fine altar-tomb, bearing the recumbent figures
of Hugh, Lord Somerville, who died in 1549, and his second wife, Janet,
daughter of William Maitland of Ledington, who died about 1550. Lord
Hugh was a great favourite of James V., who frequently visited him at
his Castle of Cowthally.
In the churchyard of Carnwath there is another recumbent effigy,
apparently of older date, but its history is unknown.