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
In 1617 the whole benefice was annexed to the Bishopric of Dunblane, in
order to provide a suitable support for the bishop. On the overthrow of
Episcopacy, in 1689, the revenues were annexed to the Crown; and now the
sole relic of the great regality of Crosraguel is the small plot of
ground enclosing the ruins.
The abbey buildings (Fig. 813) have been of considerable extent, and
still comprise, besides the remains of the church and cloisters, with
the usual ecclesiastical buildings surrounding them, an outer court to
the south-west, with a picturesque gatehouse, pigeon-house, and other
domestic structures. There was also an eastern courtyard, which
contained the abbot’s hall, and the adjoining tower or keep, the
infirmary, &c. The whole precincts were enclosed with a high wall, which
included an extensive garden. The small burn which flows along the south
side is believed to have fed fish-ponds in the neighbourhood. The church
(Fig. 813) is a simple oblong structure, consisting of choir and nave,
without aisles and without transepts. It would appear, however, from
excavations carried out by the Ayrshire and Galloway Archæological
Association, that the original church of the thirteenth century
contained a north and south transept, some traces of the foundations of
which were disclosed. A few other relics of this earlier church are
observable in the base of the western part of the nave, in traces of the
jambs of the western doorway and the jambs of the north doorway of the
nave; but the remainder of the church has been entirely rebuilt, chiefly
on the old foundations.
It is thought by Mr. Morris, who illustrates and describes the abbey in
the publication of the above Association, that part of the older
building is traceable in the wall between the choir and the sacristy,
where vaulting shafts exist on the sacristy side in such a position as
not to be available in the present structure (Fig. 814). From this fact
he forms the deduction that these shafts and the wall they are attached
to are part of the original church. He is further of opinion that the
part of the ancient church
[Illustration: FIG. 813.--Crosraguel Abbey. Plan.]
[Illustration: FIG. 814.--Crosraguel Abbey. Sacristy, looking East.]
which he supposes has survived at this point formed the model on which
the restored building was designed. From the character of the design,
[Illustration: FIG. 815.--Crosraguel Abbey. Interior of Choir.]
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