east-lothian-1924/05-159

Transcription

PENCAITLAND.] HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. [PENCAITLAND.

2 feet in height at the centre. On the north-
western and south-eastern sides are very scanty
indications of ramparts or scarps, the segment
to the south-east having probably formed part
of an outer defence. The enceinte seems to
have been circular with a diameter of about
220 feet, while a distance of 80 feet separates the
inner wall from the outer scarp.
This seems to be the fort referred to in the
Statistical Account vol. vi. p. 162 note as follows:
" The vestiges of a Roman Castellum Stativum
are still to be seen, upon the estate of White-
burgh, in the south-west part of the parish.
It was of a circular form, and consisted of three
walls, at the distance of 15 feet from each other,
built with very large stones, and with cement
only at the bottom. It occupied more than an
acre of ground. No information can be got
about the height of the walls ; but the pro-
prietor of the lands remembers that the parts
of them which he has seen, were 16 feet thick.
The whole work has been carried off at different
times for building the present house and
offices at Whiteburgh, and some farm houses
upon the estate.-Near it were several tumuli,
in which were urns full of bones or ashes.
In the camp itself, were found a medal of
Trajan, a fibula, a patera, and a horn of a
moose deer."

xiv. S.W. 8 July 1913.

MISCELLANEOUS.

134. Cross, Ormiston Village.-In the centre
of the main street of Ormiston village is a
fine freestanding 15th century cross, which is
set on three modern steps within a railed
enclosure. The old base is octagonal on plan,
but the shaft, a monolith, is square in section,
with arrises chamfered and stopped beneath a
moulded necking. On the western face of the
shaft is a shield in relief. Above the necking
is an equal limbed cross-head with roll-and-
hollow mouldings.

xiv. N.W. (unnoted). 4 October 1915.

PENCAITLAND.

ECCLESIASTICAL STRUCTURE.

135. Parish Church, Pencaitland.-The parish
church (fig. 122) stands within the churchyard
between Easter and Wester Pencaitland. It

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contains beneath one roof both chancel and
nave, the latter being galleried at the west end.
From the centre of the west gable there projects
an oblong tower, in which an entrance to the
church has been formed at ground level, and on
the higher level an entrance to the gallery,
reached from a forestair on the north. The
tower communicates directly with the church
by a high obtusely pointed archway somewhat
obscured by the gallery. On the north a trans-
ept projects from the nave and an aisle of two
bays from the chancel (figs. 121 and 123).

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 123.-Parish Church, Pencaitland (No. 135).

Above the level of the nave roof the tower is
developed to an octagon on plan, and at this
stage is utilised as a combined belfry and
Dovecot. The southern face of the octagon is
pierced by a narrow lintelled aperture, the
other walls by lancet shaped openings with
obtusely pointed heads. These lights have
splayed jambs and are coeval with a similar
window in the tower at a lower level and two
others in the west gable of the church, which
probably date from the 16th century. The
tower is built of irregularly coursed rubble up
to the octagonal stage, which is built of ashlar
and roofed with a slated octagonal spirelet
surmounted by a weathercock. Above the
lintelled entrance are the initials I O for John
Oswald (a former incumbent 1631-41)1 and the
date 1631.
The lower portion of the tower and the
north, east and west walls of the church are
clearly mediæval ; their proportions suggest
the much altered remains of a 12th century
church. The internal construction towards the
east end of the building indicates that there
was some structural distinction-probably a
chancel arch-between nave and chancel. As

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Douglas Montgomery

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