The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 1/3MacGibbon, David
History
The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 1/3
MacGibbon, David
Church architecture -- Scotland
The masonry of the nave is undoubtedly Norman, being in courses of
carefully-dressed freestone, with upright joints all breaking band. The
west wall has, on account of the slope of the ground, been brought up
from a depth of several feet below the level of the floor, and the lower
portion is thickened, and has exterior set-offs about the floor level. A
base of peculiar form is carried round the building. (See Figs. 248 and
249.) The side and west walls are now reduced to a few feet in height,
and there thus remains no trace of any windows. There have been two
entrance doorways, opposite one another, in the north and south walls
near the west end, of which only some fragments remain.
The chancel arch (Fig. 250) is of good Norman design. On the side next
the nave it is in two orders, the inner order having a simple linear or,
perhaps, bird’s-beak enrichment, and the outer order is enriched with
two series of chevrons, one on the face and the other on the soffit,
which leave on the angle a raised lozenge form between them. The arch is
enclosed with a label of three-sided section, enriched with a lozenge
pattern, and having a small Greek cross in the centre of the arch. Each
order rests on the cap of a shaft, the inner shafts being half-rounds,
and the outer shafts complete cylinders set in nooks; but these shafts
have now disappeared. The caps vary in design, but are of good Norman
character.
The bases are much decayed. The abacus of the shafts forms a string
course, which was continued round the interior of the nave. It is carved
with a saltier-like ornament. A similar string course probably ran round
the exterior of the nave. The side of the arch next the chancel is
plain, the outer order only having a simple roll on the edge. (See Fig.
248.) The central wall between the nave and chancel is in good
preservation, and is carried up with freestone courses resembling the
ashlar work of the nave; but the work is coarse, and has probably been
rebuilt. Three buttresses, built with whinstone, have been erected at a
late period against the south wall of the nave, which seems to have
shown signs of weakness.
[Illustration: FIG. 248. St. Blane’s Church. From North-East.]
The Norman masonry of the nave extends both on the north and south sides
for about 13 feet into the chancel, when it stops suddenly against a
whinstone wall. A fragment of the Norman string course is traceable on
the exterior of the north wall at the west end, and the same base as
that of the nave runs along this Norman part of the chancel. There are
the remains of a doorway in the south wall.
The remainder or eastern portions of the side walls of the choir are
composed in their lower part of whinstone rubble work (both on the
exterior and interior), while the upper portions of the side walls are
built with freestone, similar to that used in the nave, but executed
with very inferior workmanship, especially as regards the jointing and
coursing of
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