The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 3/3MacGibbon, David
History
The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 3/3
MacGibbon, David
Church architecture -- Scotland
The interior of the choir (Fig. 1147) is extremely simple. It is roofed
with a pointed barrel vault, the surface of which, towards the east end,
is ornamented with moulded ribs. These ribs spring from corbels in each
angle of the apse and in the side walls, and extend to nearly the
centre of the choir, where they cease, leaving the remainder of the
vault plain. The idea has apparently been, by the introduction of these
ribs, to make the presbytery somewhat ornamental. The windows, being
below the
[Illustration: FIG. 1147.--Seton Collegiate Church. Choir, looking
East.]
springing of the vault, are necessarily low, and the vault is in
consequence dark. There are a plain sedilia, with elliptic arch, and an
ornate piscina (Fig. 1148) at the east end of the south wall. Opposite
them in the north wall a monument (Fig. 1149) under the north-east
window contains, in an arched recess, an effigy, probably that of the
second Lord Seton, who erected the church into a college. The choir is
now roofed with wood and slates above the vault, but it was no doubt
originally
[Illustration: FIG. 1148.
Seton Collegiate Church.
Piscina in Choir.]
covered with a roof of overlapping stone slabs. The door to the sacristy
is opposite that in the south wall. The sacristy is about 14 feet by 12
feet. It has a plain barrel vault, which supports an upper story, of
which the window is visible (Fig. 1150), but there is no apparent means
of access to it. The building has a roof of overlapping stone flags. The
sacristy has one small eastern window, with a piscina near it, and a
fireplace. In the angle next the apse there is a squint commanding a
view of the altar.
The tower is 25 feet square. On the ground level there are arched
openings 9 feet 6 inches wide (Fig. 1151) towards the choir and each
transept, and also in the west wall towards the intended nave, the
latter being built up. The stair turret is placed at the south-east
angle, and partly projects into the south transept (Fig. 1152). It is
also visible on the exterior (see Fig. 1145). The tower is carried up
over the crossing one story in height above the roof, and is crowned
with a broach-spire, the top of which is unfinished. This is one of the
very few examples of broach-spires in Scotland. The ground floor over
the crossing is groin vaulted, and has a circular opening in the centre.
The transepts are each about 27 feet long by 18 feet wide, and each is
divided into two bays, with buttresses, pinnacles, and traceried
windows, similar to those of the choir. These traceries were all much
damaged, but they have been repaired by Lord Wemyss. The vaulting (see
Figs.
[Illustration: FIG. 1149.--Seton Collegiate Church. Monument under
North-East Window.]
[Illustration: FIG. 1150.--Seton Collegiate Church. View from
North-East.]
1151 and 1152) is of the pointed barrel kind, similar to that of the
choir, but without ribs, and supports a roof composed of overlapping
stone flags
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