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
was probably the fratry. On the upper floor, which formerly existed
above this building and the chapter house, was the dormitory; the wheel
stair leading to it from the south transept still exists in the
south-west angle of the south transept. This dormitory was built by John
Quhite, the seventh prior, between 1236 and 1258, being about the period
to which the building of the original chapter house would, from its
style, be assigned. This prior also built the refectory, which occupied
the south side of the cloister. It was, according to Martine (p. 187),
108 feet long by 28 feet wide, and had, at the east end, “a four square
room for copes and albs, &c., besides the common vestiarie.”
[Illustration: FIG. 455.--St. Andrews Cathedral. Doorways in West Wall
of Fratery.]
The Plan (Fig. 454)[20] shows the conventual and other buildings
attached to the cathedral. These have recently been excavated by
instructions of the Marquis of Bute, and are found to correspond with
the above figures given by Martine. Two doorways of first pointed style
in the west wall of the fratry (Fig. 455) have also been opened up.
The west side of the cloister was occupied by the sub-prior’s house,
known also as the Senzie house. To the south of it was the Senzie
chamber, which appears to have been enlarged at the beginning of the
sixteenth century into a room 80 feet by 20 feet, in order to form the
library of the adjoining College of St. Leonards. The extending of this
room blocked up the west windows of the refectory, and, doubtless, the
existing arched cellars shown on the Plan were beneath this chamber.
The building seen on the Plan to the south-east of the chapter house
seems, from Martine’s description, to be part of the remains of the
prior’s house, called also the Hospitium Vetus, or the Old Inn. It was
a large building, occupying the ground to the east of the fratry, and
was sometimes the residence of the bishop.
To the west of the cathedral are the stately remains of the entrance
gateway, called the “Pends” (Fig. 456). Only the shell of the building
now remains, with the springers of the groined vaulting. It measures
about 80 feet in length by 23 feet in width.
[Illustration: FIG. 456.--St. Andrews Cathedral. Entrance to the “Pends”
or Gatehouse.]
In continuation of the “Pends” is the enclosing wall of the priory
grounds. This is a very extensive structure (Fig. 457), still in good
preservation. It is about 22 feet high and 4 feet thick. As will be seen
from the Plan, it circles round till it reaches the north-east corner of
the cathedral, at which point it is seen in the view (see Fig. 444). The
length of the wall is about 1150 yards. In Martine’s time it contained
sixteen towers; at present thirteen are partly standing. There is a wide
gate in the wall to the south (Fig. 458) defended by towers (see =S=, Fig.
457). It is the common “entrie for carts with the teynd sheaves of the
prior aikers.” Close to it stood the “teynd barne and teynd yaird.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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