stirling-1963-vol-1/05_161

Transcription

No. 130 -- ECCLESIASTICAL MONUMENTS -- No. 130
for the purpose of decoration, being enclosed by a raised
moulding and having a large floral ornament in either
upper corner; the dexter side also bears two roundels
and the sinister side a roundel and a pair of shears. All
these objects are in relief; the roundels have pits in their
centres and are decorated with pocking. Also preserved
here are six fragments of bluish-black limestone, ¹ pre-
sumably the ones that were found close to the site of the
high altar during the excavations of 1864 ² (cf. p. 128).
They have evidently formed part of a single large slab,
6 in. or 7 in. thick and at least 3 ft. 6 in. wide but of
uncertain length. ³ The upper faces of some of the frag-
ments have sockets, and are inset in a manner which
indicates that the slab originally bore a metal inscription-
plate. This is the stone that is believed to have formed
part of the tomb of James III and his wife, Margaret of
Denmark (infra). In addition to the gravestones there is
a cresset (Pl. 15 C), now incomplete, which measures
1 ft. 6 in. by 1 ft. 4 in. on the surface and is 9 in. thick; the
sides are vertical for 3 in. below the surface and are then
splayed inwards. It formerly contained twelve cups, each
cup having a diameter of 4 in. and a depth of 3 in.
First Floor. In this room there are preserved eight
cover-stones of 13th- and 14th-century date, all but one
of them being of the coped variety. Against the N. wall
there stand three stones, the westernmost of them, now
broken into two pieces, measuring 6 ft. 4 in. in length,
from 1 ft. 4 in. to 1 ft. 2 in. in width and about 9 in. in
thickness. The upper surface of the stone is divided into
three plain panels by roll mouldings. Next to it there is a
much worn stone, which measures 5 ft. 7 in. in length,
from 1 ft. 3 in. to 1 ft. 1 in. in width and from 10 in. to
8 in. in thickness. The upper surface is divided into a
central panel and two side-panels, and in the sinister
side-panel there is a representation of shears, carved in
relief. The third stone, which is not coped, is incomplete
and now measures 4 ft. 7 in. in length, about 1 ft. 2 in. in
width and from 10 in. to 12 in. in thickness. The upper
surface is flat and has a narrow, sunk border. Against the
E. wall there stand two stones, the N. one (Pl. 43 C),
although incomplete, retaining some well-preserved
decoration. It now measures 5 ft. 10 in. in length, from
1 ft. 6 in. to 1 ft. 3 in. in width, and from 1 ft. to 10 in.
in thickness; the upper surface is divided into three
panels by bead mouldings, and along the central panel
there runs a raised cross-shaft which, rising from a
stepped base and branching out into leaves at intervals
along its length, ends in a foliaceous head. The surviving
end-panel is decorated with what appears to be a cross-
head, together with a piece of blank tracery. The other
stone, now incomplete and much worn, measures 4 ft.
7 in. in length, about 1 ft. 4 in. in width and from 11 in.
to 9 in. in thickness. The upper surface is divided into
three plain panels by roll mouldings. Against the S. wall
stand three stones. The westernmost one is quite plain;
it is broken into two pieces and is incomplete, now
measuring 4 ft. 9 in. in length, from 1 ft. 4 in. to 1 ft. 2 in.
in width and about 9 in. in thickness. Next to it there is a
well-preserved stone (Pl. 43 B) which measures 5 ft. 8 in.
in length, from 1 ft. 5 in. to 1 ft. 3 in. in width and about
10 in. in thickness. It closely resembles the stone now
preserved on the ground floor of the tower and described
above. A broad centre-ridge divides the two side-panels,
from the four lower corners of which there spring stiff
foliaceous ornaments. In addition to these, the sinister
side-panel contains a large broad-bladed sword having
slightly depressed quillons, a short hand-grip and a
trefoil pommel, while the dexter side-panel contains an
open missal, an unidentified symbol and a foliaceous
ornament. All the decoration is in relief. The easternmost
stone (Pl. 43 A) measures 6 ft. 3 in. in length, from 1 ft.
8 in. to 1 ft. 4 in. in width and from 9 in. to 6 in. in
thickness. The upper surface is divided into three panels
by heavy roll mouldings. The dexter side-panel contains
a chalice and the sinister one an open book, both in
relief.
Second Floor. This room contains a number of carved
stone fragments, which were recovered from the site of
the Abbey during the excavations carried out in 1864
and later; a number of them are illustrated by Mackison. ⁴
Among these fragments there is the lower part of a
recumbent effigy of late 14th- or 15th-century date, in
the form of a crouching lion, now headless, holding
between its paws a human head. Upon the lion there
rest the feet of a male figure wearing sollerets and spurs.

THE CHURCH. The church is cruciform on plan (Fig.
50) and comprises an eight-bay nave with N. aisle, a
choir with an unaisled and square-ended presbytery,
and N. and S. transepts each with two E. chapels. No
work attributable to the period of David I has been
found, the earliest details being of 13th-century
character. Internally the church is about 180 ft. in
length by 37 ft. 6 in. in width including the N. nave-
aisle; the nave itself and the presbytery average fully
22 ft. in width, while the transepts, from the N. gable
to the sacristy partition, measure 90 ft. 3 in. by about
38 ft. inclusive of the E. chapels. The true thicknesses of
the walls, which were originally faced in ashlar, are
doubtful; above the lowest splay of the base-course of
the gable of the N. transept the thickness is 4 ft. 6 in.,
though further splays at higher levels, and probably
wall-arcades as well, would no doubt have reduced it to,
say, 3 ft. 3 in., a dimension corresponding with the space
once occupied by the S. wall of the nave between the
backs of some internal and external benches which still
survive.
The W. door (Pl. 16 B), though greatly damaged and
weather-worn, still rises more or less complete to the head
of its equilateral arch, its height being 11 ft. 2 in. from
sill to apex. The cobbled area in front probably represents
the bottoming of a path or roadway. The sill is raised
above two broad steps and is 1 ft. 2 in. higher than some

1 The Geological Survey, having examined specimens taken
from these fragments, state that there is little reason to doubt
that this stone was quarried at Tournai, Belgium.
2 Mackison, op. cit. 111.
3 The slab as found in 1864 was about 5 ft. square (P.S.A.S.,
vi (1864-6), 20).
4 Op. cit., pls. 2, 3 and 4.

-- 126

  Transcribers who have contributed to this page.

valrsl- Moderator, Brenda Pollock

  Location information for this page.