Mr. Sharp, in his paper on “The Architecture of the Cistercians,”[85] points out that it was common for the three openings to be doorways, with the peculiarity seen here that they were not intended to have doors.

Of the western alley of the cloister there are considerable remains. The manse, adjoining the nave, appears to include a part of the original buildings. It is dated on the Plan “1647,” that figure being carved on a dormer; but portions of the walls are undoubtedly older, and possibly a thorough examination might reveal ancient features. To the south of the manse is the vaulted entrance to the cloister (Fig. 643), and further southward the truncated remains of the building shown in Fig. 644. The latter enters from the exterior by a narrow door, having a stair in the thickness of the wall adjoining leading to the upper floor. As already mentioned, there are extensive cellars beneath. This range of buildings was what Mr. Sharp calls the Domus Conversorum,[86] or the place for the workmen and servants of the monastery, which contained their day room on the ground floor and dormitory above.

About a quarter of a mile north from the abbey there exist the remains of a lodge, with indications of an arched “pend.” The lodge is still in use, but quite modernised. This archway was probably an entrance to the grounds of the abbey.

The most remarkable feature of the edifice is the tower which divides the east church from the west. From its architecture we may at once conclude that the upper portion is a structure of late date, probably of the sixteenth century. The interior doorway (see Fig. 636) is clearly of about that period, but some of the features of the lower story seem, as above mentioned, to point to that part being of an earlier time, probably thirteenth century.

The puzzle here is to understand how this solid tower should have been set down in the centre of the church, thus completely cutting off the western portion from the eastern, and forming two separate churches. Two possible solutions of this difficulty present themselves.

1. The two churches may have been intentionally kept separate, the western portion being the parish church and the eastern that of the monks. Such an arrangement is unusual in Scotland, but Mr. Freeman has described several churches in England where one portion belonged to the parishioners and the remainder to the monks. The chief difficulty connected with this theory is that the parish of Culross (as above mentioned) was provided with a separate parish church at a little distance away.[87]

2. The second supposition is that, in course of time, the monastery may have dwindled, and the buildings may have fallen into disrepair. The question would then arise whether it would not be better to diminish the size of the church by abandoning the western portion and erecting the tower where it stands. This might have occurred towards the close of the fifteenth century. But there are difficulties connected with this solution of the problem also. The tower shows the springing and jambs of windows on its west side, which appear to be of about the same date as itself, thus indicating the intention of continuing the structure westwards and restoring the old west church.

THE OLD PARISH CHURCH OF CULROSS, Perthshire.

A ruinous structure, situated about one mile north-west from the abbey. It is a plain oblong (Fig. 645), 71 feet long by 16 feet wide (inside), with walls about 3 feet thick, but parts of them have been recently rebuilt on the old foundations. It is thus impossible to say what the original arrangement of doors and windows may have been, only one small pointed window, which seems to be original, remaining next the south doorway. A north and south doorway face one another towards the west end, but these have evidently been inserted at a late date. Both doorways have straight lintels (Fig. 646), and these consist of ancient tombstones, carved with foliaged crosses and swords (Fig. 647).

Numerous other recumbent tombstones are found in the church, and some have been placed against the east wall when it was rebuilt. A top stone containing the socket for a cross is preserved at the east end. The south doorway has probably had a porch.

This church had apparently fallen into decay before the Reformation, for in 1633 an Act was passed making the abbey the parish church, and stating that the abbey church had been used for preaching since the Reformation, and that the church called the “Parioche Kirk, where service is not nor has been since the memory of man, is altogether ruinous, decayed, and fallen down in certain parts.”

It is still surrounded with the old burying-ground, which contains some interesting monuments. A large tombhouse has been built, like a transept, on the south side of the church. It appears to be an erection of the seventeenth century.

BEAULY PRIORY, Inverness-shire.

This monastery was pleasantly situated on the north side of the river Beauly, not far from the point where it falls into the sea at the head of the Beauly Frith, which forms the inner portion of the Moray Frith. The land is level and fertile, and the scenery on the river is very beautiful. The priory is about ten miles west from Inverness, and about one mile from Beauly Railway Station. It is believed to have been founded in 1230, and was thereafter endowed by Sir John Bisset of Lovat.[88] The priory was dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and was occupied by seven French monks of the Order of Valliscaulium. This was one of the strict orders established at the time of the revival of religion in the twelfth century. The mother house of the order was at Langres, in Burgundy. Of this order there were only three priories in Scotland: one at Pluscarden, in Morayshire; one at Ardchattan, in Argyle; and one at Beauly. The monks were austere in their lives, and formed a centre of devotion and enlightenment in the midst of these wild and uncivilised districts. The charter of the foundation was confirmed by Pope Gregory XI. in 1231. The priory was probably erected during the thirteenth century, but its records are few for a long period.

The Frasers succeeded the Bysets in the lands surrounding the priory, and Hugh Fraser, who was first Lord of Lovat, died in 1398. His son, Alexander, was a great benefactor of the priory, and is said to have erected a beautiful steeple of carved oak on the west gable, and put curious bells therein.

Hugh Fraser (about 1430-40) afforded means for building the north work of the priory and the chapel of the Holy Cross.

The church was soon after repaired at the expense of the superior, a natural son of Alexander of Kintail, who was there buried, A.D. 1479. His tomb is opposite that of his brother, Sir Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail, with the date 1491. Sir Kenneth was the first of his family who was buried at Beauly, having married a daughter of Lord Lovat and obtained the Beauly property.

In 1530 Abbot Robert Reid of Kinloss received a gift of the Abbey of Beauly in commendam.[89] It is recorded by Ferrerius that many new buildings were erected and old ones repaired by this abbot. He is stated to have collected materials in 1537 and to have rebuilt the nave in 1540, and the structure bears evidence of his operations. He also restored the bell tower, which had been destroyed by lightning; but in 1541 that work was demolished, and the bells destroyed by a violent storm, which also did much damage throughout the country.

In 1544 Bishop Reid (being now promoted to the See of Orkney) removed the ruinous house of the prior, and erected a new and spacious house, with six vaults on the basement; but of this structure there is now no trace.

Robert Reid was succeeded, as commendator, by his nephew, Walter Reid, who was also his successor in the abbacy of Kinloss. The possessions of the Priory of Beauly were alienated, in 1571, by Walter, the new commendator, as were also those of Kinloss. The lands thus became the property of the Lovat family. On the forfeiture of Lord Lovat, in 1516, the abbey reverted to the Crown.

The priory consisted of the church, with a cloister to the south, which was, in all probability, surrounded by the usual monastic buildings; but the latter, including the spacious prior’s house erected by Bishop Reid, have almost entirely disappeared. The walls of the church (Fig. 648) survive, but even these have been sadly abused. The buttresses have all been torn down, apparently for the sake of the freestone dressings, and the tracery of the windows has been greatly demolished.

The church consists of a single long aisleless chamber, a little over 150 feet in length by 24 feet 6 inches in width (within the walls). The eastern part formed the presbytery and choir, and the western part the nave, but there is no architectural feature to mark the divisions. About the place where a transept might have been there are two projections, which break the long line of the exterior. These projecting chambers or chapels are shut off from the main church by solid walls containing doorways and monuments. They thus formed separate chapels, or one of them may have been a sacristy. The architecture of the choir and presbytery (Fig. 649) is remarkably fine, and is of first pointed character. Although in this remote region its date may probably be later than usual, it can scarcely be, as Mr. Muir suggests, so late as the beginning of the fourteenth century.

The details are very simple, the jambs and arches having plain splays. The caps of the shafts adjoining the windows in the interior are moulded and have round abaci, but the shafts, which were detached in the early manner, have disappeared. The arrangement of the arches is different on the two opposite sides. The east window was very wide, and, doubtless, was filled with tracery, which had several mullions. This may have been a later addition; the tracery has entirely disappeared. The lower portions of the buttresses of the choir have been rebuilt within recent years, probably in consequence of an agreement entered into between Lord Lovat and the Crown, whereby the former undertakes to keep the buildings in good repair.

The most striking feature of the nave is the row of triangular pointed windows running along the south side (Fig. 650). These have evidently been curtailed in height in the design, so as to admit of the roof of the cloister walk resting against the south wall of the church, the corbels for its support being yet visible. The west end of this wall has evidently had domestic buildings of a high and substantial character erected against it, some fragments of which still remain, showing a fireplace, portions of a staircase, &c. (see Fig. 650).

The western façade bears the marks of Bishop Reid’s workmanship, and is no doubt part of what is meant to be attributed to him when it is said that he rebuilt the nave. The triangular south windows above mentioned, and the two light pointed windows on the south side of the nave, are undoubtedly much earlier than his date, which was about 1540-50, but other parts of the walls of the nave may have been re-erected by him when he restored the west end. The latter (see Fig. 650) is beyond doubt his work. The doorway in the centre, the arch of which is semicircular, contains the monogram I.H.S. on one of the label terminations, while the other drip stone shows two hands and two feet, with a heart in the centre (Fig. 651), emblems of the Passion. The arch of the doorway is round; but this, as we have seen elsewhere, is a common feature in Scottish work of all dates, and occurs especially often in late work.

The upper part of the west wall contains three pointed lancet windows, and is an example of the revival of early features in late work. Some of the windows in the side walls are of similar form, and are probably of the same date. The sill of the central window in the west end is kept high, so as to admit of a shallow ogee-headed niche for a figure over the entrance door. The figure may have represented the Baptist, but the niche is now empty. On a panel on the sill are Bishop Reid’s initials, R. R., and his arms, a stag’s head (see Fig. 651).

The part of the church which projects to the north measures 25 feet by 22 feet 6 inches internally. It has been vaulted in two bays, the vaults springing from corbels in the walls; part of the vault still remains. This chamber is said to have been the sacristy. It has a turret at the north-west angle, containing a stair to the roof. In a recess in the wall which divides this chapel from the choir lies the tomb (abovementioned) of Sir Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail.

We have seen that the “north work” was erected at the expense of Hugh Fraser (1430-40), and the style of this chapel corresponds with that date.

The repairs carried out by Prior Alexander were probably the work required for the erection of the tomb of Sir Kenneth and his own tomb, which was in a recess in the choir on the opposite side of the wall from that of Sir Kenneth.

The tomb of Sir Kenneth (Fig. 652) is a good specimen of the work of the period, and is very similar to other tombs of the same kind at Fortrose and Fearn. The recumbent figure, clad in full armour, rests on an arcaded tomb or pedestal, and the recess, which is covered with a pointed canopy, is enriched with a crocketed label and pinnacle bearing a shield, and the whole tomb is flanked by two thin buttresses. On the sill is engraved the following inscription:—“Hic Jacet Kanyens M. Kynych d’us de Kyntayl. q. obiit dii Februarii A. Di M.CCCC.LXXXXI.”

The chamber to the south of the choir has also contained monuments, but they are now destroyed. It measures 22 feet by 17 feet internally, and seems to have been connected by a door with the conventual buildings to the south. It has contained two stories, the upper story forming a gallery, connected with the church by a wide arch (see Fig. 649).

The choir contains a double piscina, near the east end, in a good first pointed style.

Under the triangular windows in the south wall of the nave are a piscina and ambry. These mark the position of an altar, which may have been erected at the rood screen, which probably separated the nave from the choir at this point, thus dividing the portion of the church open to the parishioners from that reserved for the clerics. Opposite this piscina there is a door (now built up) in the north wall, and near it, on the outside, there is another piscina. This may possibly mark the position of another chapel, which may have been that of the Holy Cross above, said to have been erected by Hugh Fraser in the fifteenth century.

NEWBATTLE OR NEWBOTLE ABBEY,[90] Mid-Lothian.

Newbotle Abbey or, as it is now called (without the name having any special meaning), Newbattle Abbey is situated on the river Esk, about two miles south from Dalkeith. It was founded by David I. in the year 1140, for monks of the Cistercian order, who were brought to Newbotle (or new residence) from Melrose. The “leader of the colony” appears to have been Ralph, the first abbot, who obtained numerous gifts and privileges for the convent, and consecrated a “cemetery within the precinct of the monastery.” The second abbot, Alfred, who died in 1179, was also a great benefactor to the abbey. He brought to it many relics, which he enclosed in a silver chest. “He adorned the chapter house with handsome seats, and also erected proper stalls, with convenient desks or menologies of wood, in the cloisters on the side where the ‘collation’ or reading of the lives of the saints was held, for the use of the brethren during the reading of collation before compline at the washing of feet at Maunday.”[91]

During the time of the tenth abbot, Constantine, the church was dedicated by Andrew de Moravia, Bishop of Moray, in March 1233.

In the year 1241, Mary de Couci, queen of Alexander II., “looking to her time of peril, and impressed with the frail tenure of life, bequeathed her body to be buried in the church of Newbotle.”[92] This would seem to indicate that the fabric of the church, if not finished by this time, was far advanced. Mary de Couci survived for about thirty years, when her desire to be buried here was carried out; and Father Hay describes her tomb, apparently from the record of an eye-witness. “In the midst of the church was seen the tomb of the queen of King Alexander, of marble, supported on six lions of marble. A human figure was placed reclining on the tomb, surrounded with an iron grating.”[93]

In 1275 Waldeve, the seventeenth abbot, “going the way of all flesh, with blessed end, departed to the Lord, leaving his house in full peace and excellent condition.”

Gervase, the nineteenth abbot, who demitted office in 1323, settled for ever on the infirmary of the abbey an annual rent of three merks, “to be expended for the uses of the sick and the recreation of the feeble.”[94] These few notices seem to show that about the middle of the fourteenth century the abbey was in a fairly complete state. It possessed great estates in the counties of the Lothians, Lanark, Peebles, and Stirling. Father Hay writes that, about this time, he “finds, from the books of receipts and expenses, the annual income of the monastery could maintain eighty monks and seventy lay brethren, with the corresponding establishment.”[95]

But evil days were at hand. In 1385, during the expedition of Richard II., “the English,” writes Father Hay, “burnt the monastery of Newbotle; and, at the same time, several of the granges and farms of the monastery were destroyed, and the others were deserted, while the lands were left untilled. The towers or peles, built by the monastery for protection against English marauders, fared in the same way. Some of the monks were carried away prisoners; others fled to other monasteries. The few who remained in the abbey, having scarce sufficient food, were compelled, by great distress, to sell twenty-nine excellent chalices, nine crosses of exquisite workmanship, and other sacred ornaments, with their silver household plate. At that time the greater part of the abbey tower was ruined by the falling of the cross.” These events happened during the time of Hugh, the twenty-third abbot.

The work of restoration was, doubtless, gone on with as soon as convenient; and, in 1390, Sir James Douglas of Dalkeith, by his will, gave his body to be buried in the monastery of St. Mary of Newbotle. “At the same time he bequeathed to the abbey a ‘nowche,’ or jewel of St. John, worth 40 merks, or its value, and, in addition, £23, 6s. 8d. for the building of the church and wages of the masons employed upon it. For the service of the monks’ refectory he gave twelve silver dishes, weighing eighteen pounds, six shillings sterling, enjoining his heirs to see that they should not be abstracted from the use of the refectory or sold.”[96] Two years later Sir James, in another will, bequeaths similar sums to the abbey, without appropriating a part to the building or to the payment of workmen, which seems to show, as Mr. Innes remarks, that the rebuilding of the abbey church had been completed in the meantime.

In 1419 Edward of Crechton paid a sum for the restoring and building of the monastery.

In the Hertford expedition of 1544, “upon the 15th day of May the horsmen raid to Newbottill and brynt it.”[97] As is remarked by Mr. Innes,[98] this was, perhaps, but a partial destruction, as, three years afterwards, Mary of Lorraine held at Newbotle a great convention of the lords of her party, preparatory to declaring war with England.

The last so-called abbot was Mark Ker. He is styled Commendator of Newbotle in 1560; and the lordship of Newbotle, being conferred on his son, has remained with their descendants to the present day.

Such is the scanty history of this great abbey, so far as relates to the structure and ornaments; but of the former almost nothing remains above ground except part of the monastic buildings on the east side of the cloisters.

The abbey, including the church, appears to have been almost completely demolished shortly after the Reformation, the only parts of the monastic buildings allowed to remain being the fratry and portions of the chapter house, which were incorporated with the mansion house, and of the former of which a view has already been given.[99]

The accompanying Plan (Fig. 653) has been prepared by Mr. John Ramsay, the resident Clerk of Works to the Marquis of Lothian, showing the result of considerable excavations recently carried out at the building, together with some details which have been discovered. The Plan shows that the buildings extended about 400 feet from north to south by about 270 feet from east to west, and that the monastery was of the usual plan.

The recent excavations deal chiefly with the foundations of the abbey and church, although explorations within the mansion have also brought to light some old work hitherto concealed from view. The first discovery of the existence of buried portions of the abbey was made in 1878, when some works were in progress; and again, in 1892,

when digging was going on connected with the planting of trees, some further remains were found. But in 1893-4 a systematic search was made, both above and below ground, which enabled an almost complete Plan of the abbey to be accurately measured and laid down.[100]

The total length of the abbey church, within the walls, was 239 feet 3 inches, and on the exterior 253 feet 3 inches; while the interior width was 57 feet 1 inch, and the exterior width (excluding the buttresses) was 66 feet 7 inches. The nave, which contained ten bays, had a length of 161 feet 6 inches, and its central aisle a width of 31 feet, while the side aisles were 13 feet. The choir and presbytery comprised one bay and a-half, and had two large piers, each 10 feet in diameter. The crossing had four similar large piers, and measured 41 feet 9 inches over the piers. The piers supported a tower over the crossing. The transept was 117 feet 6 inches in length from north to south, and had an eastern aisle, making the width 45 feet. The north transept had enormous angle buttresses and a square pier. The large piers and flat angle buttresses of the choir indicate early work, probably Norman.

The great angle buttresses at the north transepts belong, doubtless, to a late period. The Plan clearly shows that they have been added to existing flat buttresses, in the same manner as was done at the east wall of St. Andrews Cathedral. Unfortunately, no details have been discovered to enable the date to be more definitely fixed.

The east side of the cloister, which is included in the modern mansion, extends southwards from the church for a distance of about 200 feet. Adjoining the transept has been the slype or sacristy; then comes the chapter house, of which only the bases of a double row of pillars remain. It was about 35 feet long by 27 feet wide, and projected towards the east; but the east end, being under the mansion, cannot be explored. The buildings adjoining to the south are well preserved on the ground floor. They are erroneously designated the crypts, as they are entirely above ground. The long range, with central pillars, was the fratry, beyond which was a large hall. On the south side of the cloister there was a passage and a well-preserved kitchen, with a large fireplace, measuring 12 feet 6 inches by 6 feet, and having still traces of smoke. Adjoining it, to the west, are the foundations of the refectory, 106 feet long by 33 feet 6 inches wide. It will be observed that, as usual in Scotland, the refectory is parallel with the church. On the west side of the cloister the foundations of several buildings have been laid bare. Next the nave there has been a passage containing a staircase to the dormitory of the conversi; then came a large apartment, 67 feet long by 28 feet 6 inches wide; then the entrance passage to the cloister, 6 feet 2 inches wide, with a doorway 4 feet 9 inches wide. To the south of this is another large apartment, 68 feet long by 23 feet 9 inches wide, having foundations of a central row of pillars, the bases of which are all different (Fig. 654). Still farther south are found remains of a large arched conduit or drain, 2 feet 6 inches wide, and the same height.

In the vaulted fratry there stands an old font (Fig. 655), which was found at Mavisbank House, some miles distant, about the year 1873, by workmen when digging for foundations of proposed new buildings. On the supposition that it contained the arms of Abbot Hasmall, and therefore belonged to Newbattle, it was brought here. It is interesting as being evidently intended, from the coats of arms with which it is adorned, to be a memorial of the royal family during the first half of the sixteenth century. The arms it contains are:—

1st Shield.—Arms of Ramsay.

2nd Shield.—Arms of Margaret of England (daughter of Henry VII.), wife of James IV.

3rd Shield.—Arms of Magdalene of France (daughter of Francis I.), first wife of James V.

4th Shield.—Arms of Scotland (James V.)

5th Shield.—Arms of Marie of Lorraine (daughter of Claude, Duke of Guise), second wife of James V.

6th Shield.—Supposed to be the arms of James Hasmall, Abbot of Newbotle (1542-1554).[101]

7th and 8th Shields.—Blank.

Only the bowl of the font is old. It is octagonal, and measures about 2 feet 6½ inches in width and 12½ inches across each face. The height of the bowl is 1 foot 7½ inches, and the depth 13½ inches, with a square hole at bottom.

There is also preserved at Newbattle the seated figure of an ecclesiastic, holding a book on his knee (Fig. 656). It is probably a work of the fourteenth or fifteenth century, as in the earlier years of Cistercian rule figure representations were prohibited; and the little rosette ornament seen on the sedilia indicates that period. The head is unfortunately broken, but the figure otherwise is beautifully preserved. The total

height of the fragment is about 27¼ inches, and the breadth about 15 inches, with a relief of about 5 inches.

A number of stones containing mouldings have been found, some of the sections of which are shown. Some of the mouldings (as in Figs. 657, 658, and 659) are early, while the other mouldings (as in Figs. 660, 661, and 662) are for the most part late. It is not known to what parts of the

building any of these details belonged, except in the case of Fig. 659, which is from the doorway at the west end of the refectory. The door entered from the western cloister walk, and is partly in situ. Fig. 663 represents a cap and base supposed to belong to the nave arcade, from their having been found in the nave.

Fig. 660 gives a series of arch mouldings, one of them being a window, with its mullion. The door jamb, with its base mouldings (Fig. 661), is probably a fifteenth or sixteenth century piece of work.

Fig. 662 shows a series of vaulting ribs, the two upper ones being of a somewhat early date, while the others are later in character.

Many tiles have been found in the ruins, which are now preserved in the house; and a few of them are illustrated. In Fig. 664 we have two square tiles, the lesser one having an olive-green ground with a white pattern; the larger one is a red pattern on a white ground. Those shown on Figs. 665 and 666 are shaped tiles, cut out by hand to the actual form of the figure, so that each separate tile is of one colour—in Fig. 665 it is a dark green ground with a yellow figure, and on Fig. 666 a black and brown ground with a white figure.

LISMORE CATHEDRAL, Argyleshire.

The Island of Lismore lies near the south end of Loch Linnhe, and at a short distance from the mainland of Argyleshire. In 1236 the See of the Bishopric of Argyle was transferred from Mackairn, on the south side of Loch Etive, to Lismore, where a Columban monastery had been founded by St. Moluoc at an early period.

The cathedral was probably erected soon after the transference of the see in the thirteenth century. It is said to have been a structure 137 feet in length by 29⅓ feet in width. Of this pile there now only survives a single quadrilateral chamber, without aisles, used as the parish church, and measuring internally 51 feet in length by 23 feet 6 inches in width (Fig. 667). It has four buttresses of simple form against the south wall, and two at each of the north and south angles of the east wall. The walls and buttresses are entirely covered with rough casting. There is a doorway near the centre of the south wall (Fig. 668) which has had a nook shaft on each side, and a round arched head with a water table, but its details are destroyed. In the interior the arched head is segmental, and the label has bold first pointed terminals (Fig. 669). There has also been a sharply pointed doorway in the north wall (Fig. 670)—now built up—which retains in the interior a label moulding with head terminations, one being the head of a bishop.