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 Reformation came not long after the completion of the internal
decorations and fittings. In 1560 two of the neighbouring lairds were
commissioned to take down the images and burn them in the churchyard,
and also to cast down the altars and purge the church of all kinds of
monuments of idolatry. They were enjoined to see that the desks,
windows, and doors were unharmed, nor the glass or iron work broken. But
the spirit of destruction once let loose was not easily restrained, and
the church was completely destroyed and the roof burnt.
The architectural style of the different portions of the edifice
corresponds generally with the above dates fixed by Abbot Myln. The
massive round pillars of the nave, 4 feet 6 inches in diameter (Fig.
977), and the heavy semicircular arches of the triforium have been
supposed to indicate Norman work; but the details prove that here, as
frequently occurs in Scotland, the ancient forms are repeated in later
times. The caps and bases of the piers show that they belong to an
advanced period, while the mouldings of the triforium arches and the
trefoiled filling in clearly indicate work of the latter half of the
fifteenth century. These features are, undoubtedly, peculiar; but other
examples show that they are not singular. Thus at Aberdour Church[27]
and Aberdeen Cathedral (late works), the pillars of the piers are
circular, and have similar caps to those at Dunkeld; and at Paisley the
triforium arches are segmental, and are divided with cusped arches
somewhat similar in style to those of Dunkeld Cathedral. The clerestory
is very plain, and the windows are small. From the number of holes in
the wall, used for the support of rafters and other woodwork, it seems
likely that this portion of the wall was partly concealed by the timbers
of the open wooden roof, and perhaps partly covered with panelling.
The great window in the western gable (see Fig. 976) is evidently a late
feature, and seems to have been added sometime after the west wall had
been erected. This is apparent not only from the style and the peculiar
unsymmetrical position of the window, but also from the construction of
the exterior (Fig. 978), where it will be observed that the original
west door has had a portion of wall somewhat rudely added in front of
the original wall, in order to support a balcony or gallery carried
across at the base of the window. The older moulded doorway (the jamb of
which is shown in
[Illustration: FIG. 977.--Dunkeld Cathedral. Nave, looking West.]
Fig. 973) is thus overlapped and buried by two square piers, carrying
plain arches above, stuck on in front of the original wall; while in a
similar opening or recess, between the south pier and the tower at the
[Illustration: FIG. 978.--Dunkeld Cathedral. West End.]
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