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
Near the sedilia is the entrance to the lady chapel, a structure about
28 feet long by 22 feet wide internally. It is placed at right angles to
the choir, and has been covered with a barrel vault, a portion of which
[Illustration: FIG. 753.--The Abbey of Inchcolm. Exterior of South and
South-East Sides of Chapter House, &c.]
[Illustration: FIG. 754.--The Abbey of Inchcolm. West Side of
Cloister.]
still overhangs on the west side (see Fig. 741). In the east wall is a
destroyed piscina, which no doubt adjoined the altar. The entrance
archway has had on the jambs a half-round shaft and two splays on each
side (see Fig. 750). A few feet of it remain, together with the base
(see Fig. 750), which is of late design, and might correspond with the
date of Richard of Aberdeen, by whom the lady chapel is said to have
been built.
It has been mentioned that the cloister walk was continued across the
north side of the square by a one-story structure. This is now
demolished; but, from the foundations which remain (see Fig. 737), it
has evidently consisted of a thin parapet wall, strengthened with five
buttresses. The passage was about 11 feet wide, and had a wide arch in
the solid wall at each end opening into it (Fig. 754). The roof was
probably entirely of wood, and there is a ragglet cut in the stone work
at each end, which shows that the slope of the roof was flat. These
ragglets are rudely cut into the masonry, and that at the west end
passes across the corbel of a projecting chimney. This passage would
thus appear to have been a late addition.
The cellars, stores, &c., which are frequently in the west range of the
cloister buildings, have in this instance been erected in a wing to the
south-east. This wing (Fig. 755) is two stories in height. On the
basement floor (see Fig. 737) it contains towards the east end a vaulted
cellar, about 50 feet in length by 13 feet in width, lighted by loops in
the south wall. At the east end a large oven is built out towards the
north side, and had a room over it. On the upper floor (see Fig. 745)
there has been a series of five or six offices, two containing large
fireplaces, and one an oven in the angle. At the west end (see Fig. 747)
the building has been carried up a story higher, and had a wheel stair
in the re-entering angle. An entrance passage to the interior of the
monastery passed through two archways under the north-west portion, and
led to the entrance tower near the south-west corner of the cloister.
The south or exterior wall of the above range of offices has been
strengthened with buttresses, but, being close to the sea, the south
wall has been considerably damaged, and only the basement now survives.
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