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 chancel is covered by a low waggon vault, between which and the
external roof there is a chamber lighted by a square window in the apex
of the west gable. In the east end of the chancel (Fig. 54) are two
small round-headed windows placed considerably apart, the north one,
like the window at the neighbouring Kiels, having its interior sill
underdrawn and levelled for an altar.
[Illustration: FIG. 53.]
“In the interior south wall is a large round-headed recess, containing
the tomb and headless effigy of an ecclesiastic, and in the wall
opposite are two smaller recesses of the same kind--the eastern one
having a window behind and a square lychnoscopic-looking aperture on one
side near the ground.
“The chancel evidently belongs to an early period, and in style mostly
resembles Norman, though some alterations (designed, there can be no
doubt, to procure more shelter) have somewhat modified the pristine
character of its detail. Originally the entrance was by a round doorway
in the north side of the nave; but this has been built up, and another
one, square and smaller, opened through the wall opposite. The window
lights have all been reduced by the inserting of a slate pierced with a
short and narrow lancet--that on the south, in the east end, plain
[Illustration: FIG. 54.--Church of St. Carmaig, Eilean Mor. Exterior
Elevation of East End.]
pointed, the other one trefoiled. But the most important alteration is
in the chancel arch (Fig. 55), which has been lessened by blocking to a
small flat-topped doorway with a square hole right through the wall on
each side of it; over each of these holes, within the chancel, is an
ambry of the usual square form.”
In a recess among the rocks are remains of a rectangular building,
measuring internally 11 feet 3 inches by 10 feet 10 inches--the walls
rudely built without cement, and more than 4 feet in thickness. This is
the Chapel of St. Carmaig, “made by his own hands” soon after he came to
the place for retirement and devotion. The entrance to the building
[Illustration: FIG. 55.--Exterior West Elevation of Chancel.]
is a narrow flat-headed doorway of primitive character in the east wall.
This structure communicates with a natural cave, and probably existed as
a religious cell long before the neighbouring Kilvicoharmaig was
erected.[100]
3. ST. COLUMBA’S, EY., LEWIS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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