The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 2/3MacGibbon, David
History
The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 2/3
MacGibbon, David
Church architecture -- Scotland
Of the church little but the foundation and some portions of the walls
survive. The outline of the exterior of the choir, with its buttresses,
can be clearly followed, but the interior has been stripped of its
ashlar work. A recess on the north side doubtless contained a tomb, and
some traces of the sedilia are visible. Two small coffins were found
buried in the choir, which are believed to have contained the remains of
two children of Earl David, the founder. The position of the east aisle
of the transepts can be traced, with its buttresses. The north and south
walls of the choir were carried, without openings, across the ends of
the transept aisle. The wall in the north transept contains a portion of
a double piscina (Fig. 624), one basin being scalloped and the other a
plain circle. Amongst the most interesting parts of the structure are
the foundations and one or two courses of the piers of the crossing.
These are well preserved, and show the first pointed mouldings of the
responds of the piers on three sides (Fig. 625), the mouldings being the
same in the piers of the arches which crossed the choir and transept,
and also in the arches of the transept aisle. They are all of fine first
pointed design. The base of the piers (Fig. 626) is also first pointed.
A doorway from the north-east angle of the cloister enters the church by
the south transept, and not, as usual, by the nave. A considerable part
of the south wall of the nave survives. It has small projections at
intervals along the south face, which probably carried an arcade. Fig.
627 shows the section of the bases of the west end of the church and the
tower.
[Illustration: FIG. 625.--Lindores Abbey.
Responds of Piers.]
[Illustration: FIG. 626.--Lindores Abbey.
Mouldings of Base of Piers.]
Another doorway entered the nave from the cloister some distance
westwards from the crossing. The plan and elevation of the portion still
remaining are shown in Figs. 628 and 629. This doorway had, towards the
cloister, two nook shafts, with bold dog-toothed ornaments on the angles
between the shafts, and on the interior sconsion a double beaded
moulding. A third doorway led from the west end of the cloister into the
nave.
The north aisle of the nave is now scarcely traceable. The walls of the
north-western tower, which occupies a position similar to the tower of
Brechin Cathedral, still stand to a height of about 8 feet. The tower
had large square corner buttresses, and smaller intermediate ones on
each face, with a base consisting of three plain set-offs (see Fig.
627). A wheel stair occupied the buttress at the north-east angle. There
is now no trace of the western doorway of the church, but the base
mouldings are shown in Fig. 627. There is a recess for a stoup in the
south wall near the west doorway.
[Illustration: Tower.
Church.
FIG. 627.--Lindores Abbey.
Bases at West End of Tower and Church.]
[Illustration: FIG. 628.--Lindores Abbey.
Plan of South Doorway of Nave.]
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