east-lothian-1924/05-107

Transcription

HADDINGTON.] -- HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. -- [HADDINGTON.

springing of all their heads is one course above
the crown of the arcades ; within the choir
this springing level is defined by a string-
course. The high vaults spring from a level
three courses higher.
The west front (fig. 73) rises to 64 feet above
ground level. The main doorway (fig. 77) is
divided by a central pier, set within a semi-
circular arch, which springs from the capital of
either jamb. The mouldings of the jambs and
central pier consist of two outer attached shafts
with fillets, separated by hollows and roll and
hollow members. The bases are of the belled
type common in 15th century work. The
capitals are carved with stiff conventional
foliage. On the capital of the central pier is
a shield bearing the emblems of the Passion-
crown of thorns, pierced hands and feet and
[marginal note]
Alma XY i
the nails-arranged as an heraldic charge.
The innermost hollow of the archivolt is en-
riched with stiff and heavily undercut foliage,
but one of the stones is missing and one uncut.
The hood-mould, springing from stops carved
with busts of angels, has a smaller flowing
enrichment.
The west window is wide and has an obtusely
pointed head, within which are two pointed
sub-arches with tracery. The masonry above
the apex of this window appears to have been
reconstructed. In front of the skew, which is
borne on the inner portion of the gable, is a
little gallery, with an arcaded parapet (restored)
above a cornice with paterae.
The tower contained three floors above the
church, and these are reached from the vice
within the south-west pier. It measures 30
feet on each face and stands to a height of
90 feet above which apparently once rose an
open stone coronal, a termination almost
peculiar to Scotland. On each wall, above the
ridges of the main roofs, runs a string-course,
forming the sill of a lofty window of three
grouped lights with semi-circular heads. A
cusped transom divided each light, and at its
level another string-course returns round the
tower. Flanking each window is a canopied
niche. At wall-head level, on the middle of
each face, is a corbelled projection for the
spring of the four coronal ribs ; it should be
noted that there is no provision for ribs
springing from the angles as on the tower of
St. Giles, Edinburgh.

40

Inside the nave the 19th century alteration
on the arcade and aisles is noticeable. The
piers are square with chamfered arrises and
have single engaged shafts on their cardinal
faces ; when they were heightened the capitals
were replaced and the arches reconstructed
with their apexes not much below the sills of
the clerestory windows. The bases of the pier
arcade tend to the bell shape and the upper-
most member returns round the pier members.
The capitals are carved, save those on the
south-east pier and the west responds, which
are moulded and with the abaci return round
the pier members. Above the aisle windows
can be seen traces of the wall ribs of the
quadripartite vaulting of the aisles.
The crossing piers are massive, embodying
and elaborating the section of the pier arcades,
and terminate in moulded bases and foliaceous
capitals.
The transepts are two bays long. In each
bay there would be an alter, possibly furnished
with a high reredos on the blank east wall. In
the east wall of the north transept is a credence
niche with ogival head. The remnants of the
ribs indicate that the north transept and crossing
were ceiled with quadripartite vaulting with
ridges and that the south transept had a very
elaborate ridged stellar vault containing two
tierceron ribs. The walls of the south transept
are complete, and the tracery of the windows
has been restored, but the north-west angle
of the north transept is missing.
The arch opening into the choir is morticed
to receive the rood beam and screen.
The high vault of the choir was quad-
ripartite with ridges; the aisle vaults were also
quadripartite but without ridges.
The piers, bases and capitals of the choir are
similar to those of the nave and show the
original height of the arcade, while their
socket holes indicate the former existence of
parclose screens (fig. 75). The high alter would
be set against a screen between the eastmost
piers indicated by its socket holes,1 and ad-
ditional alters would be placed against the
blank terminal walls of the aisles and below
the east window, where there is a credence
niche.
The revestry, originally two storeyed, now
reduced to its lowest portion, which was largely
rebuilt in the 17th century as a mortuary aisle,