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
is an elaborate example to find in this remote and quiet pastoral
district. The arch mouldings and ornaments are well preserved, but,
unfortunately, the shafts are wanting. The caps are quite plain. There
are three orders of mouldings, all enriched with characteristic Norman
ornaments. It will be observed that in that of the outer order the
spaces between the rings gradually diminish from the caps to the crown
of the arch.
ST. BOSWELLS CHURCH, ROXBURGHSHIRE.
The Church of St. Boswells stands near the right bank of the Tweed, at a
point about half-way between the village of Lessudden and Maxton Railway
Station. The village of St. Boswells is stated to have formerly stood
near the church, but it has gradually and entirely disappeared, and the
nearest village to the church is now Lessudden, which is fully a mile
off. The situation is very fine, and the views of the Tweed, with its
wooded banks, in the vicinity are very beautiful.
[Illustration: FIG. 340.--St. Boswells Church. Fragments.]
The place is of great antiquity, and is supposed to have derived its
name from Eadwine of Northumbria. The church, which has been entirely
rebuilt, contains a few small relics of the Norman edifice which
undoubtedly once stood on the site. These consist of some carved corbels
(Fig. 340) and other fragments, which are evidently of Norman date, and
which have been preserved by being built into the restored church.
The Church of Lessudden was bestowed on Dryburgh Abbey in the middle of
the twelfth century.
SMAILHOLM CHURCH, ROXBURGHSHIRE.
As in Berwickshire, so in Roxburghshire, a large number of Norman
churches were erected during the Norman period. We have not attempted to
compile a list of these, as in most cases almost no trace of them now
remains, or so little that it can only be detected by an antiquarian.
There is, for example, the Church of Hassendean, of which Cardonell
gives a view of the chancel arch, granted by David I. to the Bishop of
Glasgow. This, judging from Cardonell’s view, must have been a rich and
important structure, with an eastern end similar to what we
[Illustration: FIG. 341.--Smailholm Church. Plan, and View from
South-East.]
find existing at Leuchars and Dalmeny. The Church of Upper Crailing was
granted in 1147 to the Abbey of Jedburgh; and at the same time Ganfrid
de Percy grants to the same abbey the lands adjacent to the Church of
Oxenham; and Ranulph de Sulis at the same time gives to the abbey the
Church of Castletown, and a little later in the century the Church of
Hownam and Eckford are similarly bestowed. The Church of Smailholm (Fig.
341) is distinctly a Norman structure throughout its entire length.
David I. granted the manor of Smailholm to David Olifard, and in the
ancient _Taxatio_ (beginning of the thirteenth century) the Church of
Smailholm was rated at 45 marks. Walter Olifard, who died in 1242, gave
the Church of Smailholm to Coldingham Priory.
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