Part 13

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As a supplement to the foregoing drawings and descriptions of the ruined churches of Orkney and Shetland by Sir Henry Dryden, we add an account, also kindly supplied by Sir Henry, of the chapel at Lybster, in Caithness, which has a strong affinity to the churches of the Orkneys, and drawings and description of the chapel on the island of Inch Kenneth, lying on the south-west of Mull.

CHAPEL AT LYBSTER, PARISH OF REAY, CAITHNESS.

This is not the Lybster on the east coast.

This chapel (Fig. 129) was stated, in 1726, to be dedicated to St. Peter. It is described and illustrated by Muir in his _Ecclesiastical Sketch of Caithness and Orkney_, 1861. He states that it was dedicated to St. Mary.[135]

It consists of nave and chancel, both unroofed. (Fig. 130.) Muir, in his plan, places the chancel to the north of the nave, but it is in the usual position.

The nave is 17 feet 10 inches east and west, by 10 feet 11 inches north and south inside. The north wall of the nave is 3 degrees south of true west and north of true east, supposing the variation to be 24 degrees west of north. The walls of the west end and the east end of the nave are 4 feet 2 inches thick; the north and south walls of the nave are 3 feet 11 inches thick. The walls are of the whinstone of the district, in irregular courses, from 3 to 10 inches deep, and “spawled”--that is, made into courses by smaller stones. The north wall of the nave is 8 feet high above the present ground level, and is apparently about its original height. The south wall is partly broken. The west wall is 11 feet 8

inches, and the east wall 15 feet 2 inches above the present ground. The latter gable was about 1 foot 6 inches higher than at present, and the west gable, of course, level with it. I did not ascertain the original level of the floor, but it must have been at least a foot below the present ground, so that the total height of the gables was about 16 feet 2 inches.

In the west end (Fig. 131) is an entrance 2 feet 3 inches wide at bottom and 1 foot 9 inches at top. The head is horizontal; the jambs are parallel, and there is no sign of hinges for a door. The jambs are now 3 feet 11 inches high. The soffit of the head is flush between the outside and the inside. Another entrance has been made in the south wall near the west end, but the wall is broken here, and the form of the head is uncertain. There is now no trace of a window, but one may have existed in the place of this doorway.

The entrance to the chancel is 2 feet 9 inches wide at the bottom and 2 feet 1 inch at the head, which is flat, like the west entrance. The chancel is 11 feet 3 inches east and west, by 10 feet 9 inches north and south inside. The walls are 2 feet 4½ inches on the north and south and 2 feet 7 inches on the east. The walls are about 1 foot lower than the north wall of the nave. This chancel has been rebuilt, probably on the old foundation, and is used as a family burying-place.

There is no trace of an entrance or a window, but I think the wall has been rebuilt since the disuse of the chapel, so that the original chancel may have had a window. There is no stoup or ambry.

Planned 1871.

CHAPEL, EFFIGY, AND CROSS ON INCH KENNETH, MULL, ARGYLESHIRE.

Inch Kenneth is about half a mile across at the mouth of Loch na Keal, on the west side of Mull.

The chapel (Fig. 132) adjoins the burial-ground, which is on the south-east part of the island, and at 50 or 60 feet above the water.

The ground falls sharply from the north-east to the south-west. The burial-ground is on the west of the chapel, and on higher ground. There is an enclosed burial-place adjoining the south side of the chapel for the Macleans of Brolas.

The chapel (Fig. 133) is a plain parallelogram, 40 feet 9 inches east and west by 19 feet 8 inches north and south inside. It is deflected 10

degrees 30 minutes to the north of true east, assuming the magnetic meridian to be 21 degrees west of true north.

It is of a light-coloured hard sandstone. It has long been unroofed, and is mutilated in other parts.

The doorway (Fig. 134) is in the north wall, near the west end, on the side sheltered by the hill; but all the freestone has been taken out, except two stones of the inner order of the east jamb.

The jambs (Fig. 135) and arch were of two orders. Judging by the remains of wall it had no hood and no cap. I did not make out whether it had been a pointed or a half-circular arch, as there is only a small portion of the masonry fitting the back of the outer order above the west impost remaining to judge by. Probably pointed.

The sill of the doorway is covered by rubbish, and the whole of the interior is covered to about 2 feet depth. I had not opportunity for excavation.

The east end (Fig. 136) remains to 15 feet high, a little above the eaves. The side walls (Fig. 137) are about 12 feet high, and the west wall remains to a little way up the gable.

The facing of the south wall and the south-west angle have disappeared. The weakness of foundation and the position of the east end on a steep slope caused, at some period, the east end to lean outwards

considerably; and to obviate further decay, large clasping buttresses (see Fig. 132) were made at north-east and south-east angles, at some period much after the building of the chapel, but long ago.

In the east end are two plain lancets (Fig. 138), 4 feet 8 inches high and 8¾ inches wide, with wide splays to the inside.

There is no groove for glass, and so it probably was fixed in a wooden frame.

On the north is, near the east end, a square-headed light (Figs. 139, 140), 4 feet 8 inches by 1 foot. It has no glass groove. The internal head is not now arched, but probably was so at first.

On the south, and nearly opposite the last, is a light, 4 feet 8 inches by 9 inches, with a square head and internal arch. (See Fig. 140.)

Between this and the east wall is a projecting stone with hollow in it, but no drain. (See Fig. 139.) It is difficult to assign a date to this, but I think, probably, it is of fourteenth or fifteenth century.

In the centre of the chapel is a flat tombstone, with floriated decoration. In the burial-ground is a cross of slate, now prostrate. It appears of very late date, but has traditional form and ornaments.

In the burial-place on the south side of chapel is a floriated tombstone (Fig. 141), also an effigy in relief (Fig. 142). This is 6 feet 7½ inches long from the top of the cap to the heels. The figure is in relief of about 4 inches average, flattened on the upper surface, like many others in that

district, and is in the same stone as the slab, as usual. The slab is 7 feet 2¼ inches by 2 feet 8 inches, of hard freestone. He has no metal armour except his skull-cap or morion, which has a raised longitudinal rib and a narrow brim. The head rests on a simple pillow of 3 inches relief. He wears a quilted dress reaching to the knees, and over that, apparently a

surcoat. The face has no protection; the hair is long and curly, falling over the shoulders; he has no beard and no moustache. Below the chin falls the broad end of a tie (?) of some kind. The right arm, in a quilted sleeve, is extended by the side, and in the hand is a cannon (?) ball. Lying over the waist is a circular target, 1 foot in diameter and 2 inches thick, and on this is a shield (presumably to receive the arms either in sculpture or paint) of 10½ inches width and 1¼ inch thickness.

The legs are in close-fitting hose, or perhaps bare, and the junction of the boots is not shown. The feet rest against a lion or dog. He has a waist-belt, from which depends a long, broad, straight sword, of equal width to the end. The upper part of the scabbard and the guard are

concealed by the target. The left arm holds the target, and is therefore partly concealed by it. Dependent from the belt at the right hip is the dirk. On each side of the head is a figure 10¼ inches high, much worn, in a loose cloak, and in the attitude of prayer. These may represent children or professional mourners.

It is possible that the shield which is in relief on the target is to represent a metal or a wooden plate fastened to the target.

It is likely that the cannon ball is a memorial of some incident.

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Sir Henry Dryden, in reading over the foregoing description of the Orkney and Shetland churches after they were arranged in type, has requested the following note to be inserted:--

_Note by Sir Henry Dryden._

All the plans and sections are much reduced from the originals; therefore, the _statements_ of the scales are not true, but the scales given are correct, having been reduced with the plans.

Of the original drawings, some general plans are to the scale of ½ an inch to 40 feet, and ½ an inch to 10 feet. All the chapels are to the scale of ⅜ of an inch to 2 feet, doors and windows ⅜ to 6 inches, and mouldings ⅜ to 3 inches.

The elevations in the originals are tinted with sepia, and have no masonry indicated. The artist who has prepared these reductions has indicated the masonry, but has made it much too regular, both in courses and size of stones.

The drawing here shown is a more accurate representation of the general style of the masonry.

The degrees and minutes prefixed to arrows are the readings of a prismatic compass, with 360 degrees at south, 90 degrees at west, and so on. All were taken west to east and east to west.

TRANSITION FROM CELTIC TO NORMAN ARCHITECTURE.

Having in the preceding chapters dealt with the churches in Scotland which may be regarded as of Celtic descent, we now turn to those in which the Roman or Norman influence begins to make itself apparent.

A few structures exist in Scotland in which both the Celtic and Norman influences can be traced, and which are interesting as examples of the transition from the one style to the other. We have noted in the foregoing descriptions the gradual introduction in the later Celtic churches of features characteristic of Norman work, such as round arched openings and upright jambs, not to mention the pointed and more advanced details of later examples. But the gradual approach of Norman architecture, and its encroachment on the Celtic forms, is more particularly noticeable in some of the early towers in the East of Scotland. In that part of the country of which the Frith of Tay forms the centre, and which was then the central region of Pictavia, there exists a series of early ecclesiastical towers, eight in number. Six of these towers are situated south of the Tay--three of them being on the south side of the Ochil Hills, and three on the north side. Those on the south side are the tower of St. Regulus at St. Andrews and the towers at Markinch and Dunblane; while the towers on the north side of the Ochils are at Abernethy, Muthill, and Dunning. The towers on the north side of the Tay are those at Brechin and Restennet. These places are all known to have been the sites of Culdee establishments, which were ultimately absorbed into the Roman system.

The towers of Abernethy and Brechin are round towers, similar in design to the round towers of Ireland.[136] These two towers contain many features which indicate their Irish derivation, while one of them--that at Abernethy--shows the impress of the Norman influence in its details.

The other towers above mentioned (which are described under their respective heads) are all square in plan; but that of Restennet shows considerable affinity with Celtic modes of construction. The Church of St. Regulus probably marks the next step in the Norman advance, while the remaining towers, although simple in details, are quite distinctly Norman in their features.

The Round Tower of Brechin is the one which approaches most nearly to the Celtic or Irish forms. Its masonry is built with large stones, but they are not laid in regular courses. The doorway is some feet above the ground, and is ornamented with details quite Irish in character. This tower will be more fully described under the head of Brechin Cathedral.

ABERNETHY ROUND TOWER, PERTHSHIRE.

This remarkable edifice stands on the south-west side of the Churchyard of Abernethy, a small town situated at some distance from the south side of the Tay, and about three miles west from Newburgh. There can be no doubt that this peculiar form of round tower owes its existence to the presence of the Irish clergy, who returned to Scotland in the ninth century.[137] Abernethy was distinguished as an ecclesiastical site at a very early date, a church having been founded here in the sixth century by King Gastnaid[138] in honour of St. Bridget. Abernethy was then, and for a long period thereafter, the chief seat of the Government of Pictland. In the ninth century, Constantin, the son of Kenneth M‘Alpine, removed the see of the Scottish Bishopric from Dunkeld to Abernethy, where it remained till transferred by Kenneth III., 966-970, to St. Andrews.

The monastery at Abernethy was in the hands of a Culdee establishment in the eleventh century, but about 1200 the church was granted by William the Lion to his favourite Abbey of Arbroath, and the Abbey was secularised. In 1272, the monastery was revived as a Priory of Canons regular of St. Augustine.

The once important place of Abernethy has now dwindled into a small quiet country town, of which the ancient Round Tower is the only important feature.

The tower stands partly within the churchyard and partly without it, on the east side of the adjoining roadway, and the level of the ground on the side next the latter is two or three feet deeper than that of the churchyard. The doorway (Fig. 143) is situated on the north side of the tower and within the burial-ground. It stands (Fig. 144) about 2 feet 6 inches above the ground, and has had in recent times a few steps built in front of it. The doorway has a plain fillet, 6 inches broad and projecting 2 inches, wrought on the jambs and round the circular arched head. It is 7 feet 8 inches from the sill to the crown of the arch. The jambs incline inwards, the opening being 2 feet 8 inches at the base, and 2 feet 4 inches at the spring of the arch. The round head is hollowed out of a single stone, and the thickness of the wall behind it is arched with several voussoirs. The jambs are each in two stones, which extend through the thickness of the wall. The wall is 3 feet 6 inches thick at the doorway, and the internal diameter of the tower at that level is 8 feet 2 inches.

The structure is over 72 feet in height, and is divided in the interior into six stories in the height by projecting string courses, 10 inches by 8 inches, bevelled on the lower side, which carried the joists. There was no staircase, access from floor to floor being by means of ladders. The second, third, and fourth stories are lighted by means of small round-headed and angle-headed windows, with inclined jambs.

The top story has four large windows facing the cardinal points. These windows are the most remarkable features of the edifice.

The openings have inclined jambs, being 1 foot 8 inches at base and 1 foot 5 inches at top, and the height from the sill to the springing is 4 feet 9 inches. Each window has two orders on the exterior--a plain inner order and an outer order, containing a shaft wrought on the jamb angle. The inner order has plain square-edged jambs and round arch. The outer order has also a square-edged round arch, springing from the caps of the shafts. This arch, however, is not concentric with the inner arch, but is carried considerably above it, leaving a flat space or shield between the arches. The caps and bases of the shafts are now much decayed, but they have a distinctly Norman character.

Above the highest string course the wall rises about two feet, so as to form a parapet. The diameter within this wall is 8 feet 8 inches, and the wall is about 2 feet 6 inches thick. The top of the wall is covered with broad stones, each the full width, which have an ogee moulding wrought on the outer edge.

The masonry of the tower is constructed in regular courses of ashlar work, carefully wrought to the circle. The lower twelve courses are of a hard grey freestone, and the portion above consists of a yellowish freestone of similar workmanship, which is softer, and has decayed considerably both on the exterior and interior. This difference in the materials of the lower and upper portions has led to the belief that the upper part has been rebuilt at a later date than the lower part.

The tower is slightly less in diameter at the top than at the bottom, but it tapers so little that the difference is scarcely observable.

In this tower we find features which belong both to the Celtic and Norman styles of building. The circular form of the tower and the disposition of its parts, the door raised some feet above the ground, the small windows in the lower stories, the four large windows in the top story, and the inclining jambs of door and windows, all point to the Irish origin of the design; while the distinctly Norman character of the details of the four upper windows, and the regular coursing and dressing of the masonry, show the influence of the Continental style of the twelfth century.

RESTENNET PRIORY, FORFARSHIRE.

The remaining towers of the group above enumerated are all square on plan, and certain of them are connected with churches, and form a part of them. In these respects, therefore, they differ considerably from the towers of Abernethy and Brechin. They were all probably built during the twelfth century. Possibly Restennet is an exception. It is the only one of the square towers which has very marked features of a pre-Norman character. The outside dimensions of the Tower of Restennet (Fig. 145) are 15 feet 11 inches from north to south by 15 feet 6 inches from east to west, and the walls are 2 feet 8 inches in thickness.

There is, on the ground level of the tower, a narrow doorway in the south side, and a wide archway into the church through the east wall. There is also a wide archway in the west wall, opening into what has been a nave, added at a later date; but this opening appears to have been cut through at a late period.

The south doorway (Fig. 146) is 2 feet 4 inches wide by about 8 feet high. The soffit of the arch is cut out of single stones. The style of masonry used in the construction of the doorway is peculiar. The thickness of the wall is made up of three courses, the two outer ones being large slabs set on edge, and the interior course being built with smaller stones from a different quarry. The latter are of red and the former of grey sandstone. The outer and inner stones forming the lintel are hollowed out with a semi-circular arch opening. Round the exterior of the doorway there is a raised margin, about eight inches in breadth, with small projection, similar to the margin of the door at Abernethy. Except this ancient feature, there is no other attempt at decoration.

The arch in the east wall (Fig. 147) is 8 feet 4 inches wide, and is stated by Mr. Galloway[139] to have been 15 feet 8 inches high from the original floor level to the soffit. The space comprised within the tower

was by this archway included in the original church, which opened into it exactly like the archway of the tower at Dunning Church (_q.v._), compared with which, however, this opening has a very archaic appearance.

There are no floors in the tower, and no stair or means of access to the upper story, and the tower stands open from the ground to the apex of the spire.

Above the arches just described, the tower contains two stories (Fig. 148). In the first story there is a small opening on the east side, about 1 foot 8 inches wide and 4 feet 8 inches high, contained within the space of the choir roof; and on the south side there is another opening, about half this size. A small round opening, a few inches wide, in the west wall (Fig. 149) completes the lights on this story. The highest story, which is separated from the one below by a string course, contains an opening with a straight-sided arch on each face, and each of these openings has an external back-set fillet or margin.

How the tower was originally finished it is now impossible to say; but the string course above the second story is the present termination of the original work. The tower has a decided taper of about two feet in the height.

The building above the second story is probably a work of the fifteenth century, but there appears to be no written account of the erection of the spire. With the exception of the tower, no part of the original Church of Restennet remains, but a fragment of a return wall at the base of the south-east angle of the tower shows that it was connected with some building.

The existing ruin (see Fig. 145) consists of a choir to the east of the tower. The south wall of this choir probably occupies the original position of the south wall of the ancient church. Assuming that the tower was in the centre of the west wall of the choir, the original church would be about 14 feet wide, and possibly entered through the tower by the narrow doorway in the south side.

The present choir is a first-pointed structure. It is roofless, but otherwise fairly entire, and measures about 67 feet long by 21 feet 6 inches wide internally. A part of the centre of the north wall appears to have been taken down and rebuilt at a late period. In a plan of the priory, made by Dr. Jamieson of Forfar, and preserved in the Hutton Collection (Advocates’ Library), the church is shown as being ruinous in 1796. The restoration which has since then taken place probably accounts for the absence of the buttresses and of the hood mouldings of two of the rebuilt lancet windows on the north side (see Figs. 148 and 149). On the south side the buttresses have all been pulled down, but otherwise the wall remains intact, with first-pointed corbels along the top of the wall. In the east wall, the apex of which is gone (Fig. 150), there were

three lancet windows, which had banded nook shafts in the interior, and a simple splay externally. At the east end, on the south side, there is a piscina (Fig. 151), a sedilia recess, a locker, and a tomb of late work. On the north side there has been a similar recessed tomb, now built up. The font shown in Fig. 152 is lying inside the choir, but its base is gone. It measures 2 feet 4 inches in external width by 1 foot 9 inches inside, and 18 inches high, with a square hole in the centre. It appears to be of late date.