Abbeys -- Scotland; Cathedrals -- Scotland; Church architecture -- Scotland
The choir walls, containing an elegant sedilia and piscina, remain
standing to the height of 9 feet, and it is questioned whether the
choir was ever finished during the restoration. There is a
string-course all round; the building is of fifteenth century work,
and occupies the place of an earlier choir, which has been
demolished. The wall at the east end of the nave, which separates it
from the transept, may have been erected during the restoration of
the fifteenth century, with the intention of rendering the nave a
complete church until the transept and choir were restored. This
seems to have been in progress when the Reformation interrupted the
work. The design of the sedilia resembles that at St. Monans, Fife,
and adjoining the sedilia is the piscina, the aperture of which is
still visible.
The north transept is in ruins, but the north wall, with the remains
of a fine traceried window, still exists, as well as a traceried
window in the west wall. The south transept is also in ruins, while
the tower and spire have disappeared. St. Mirin's Chapel is well
preserved, but the openings connecting it with the south transept
are built up.
The nave survives as a whole, and contains six bays, divided by
massive piers, and surmounted by a triforium and clerestory. There
is a north porch, and two doorways from the cloister on the south
side.
The oldest portion of the building is pronounced to be the eastern
part of the south wall of the south aisle of the nave, where it
adjoins the transept. This portion of the wall consists of three
bays, containing the S.E. doorway from the cloister to the nave, and
three pointed windows in the upper part. The doorway is of the
transition style, and the windows above are simple in style, and are
early pointed work--this part of the building probably dating from
the first half of the thirteenth century.[387] The western portion
of the south aisle of the nave and the whole of the south clerestory
are evidently portions of the restored church of the fifteenth
century.[388] The south aisle wall contains the S.W. and S.E. doors
from the nave to the cloister.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account