stirling-1963-vol-1/05_179

Transcription

No. 137 -- ECCLESIASTICAL MONUMENTS -- No. 137

[Plan Inserted]
Fig. 55. Old parish Church, Airth (No. 137)

capital (Fig. 56). Both capitals, however, represent
basic forms of the Transitional period and the marked
dissimilarity in their design and execution can only be
attributed to the work of different masons, augmented
perhaps by a short lapse of time in building operations -
in which event the waterleaf capital should be regarded
as the later of the two. The semicircular arch which
spans the easternmost bay has been reconstructed in part
at least, presumably in 1614 when the Bruce Aisle was
formed behind it. The remains of the buttress mentioned
above can be seen in the re-entrant angle between the
E. wall of the Bruce Aisle and the adjoining respond of
the 17th-century N. aisle, It stands to the height of the
early nave. Whether or not a S. nave-arcade ever existed
cannot now been determined, because this part of the
church was completely altered by the addition of the
Airth and Elphinstone Aisles.

THE AIRTH AISLE. The Airth Aisle was constructed by
Alexander Bruce of Stenhouse and Airth between about
1450 and 1487, ¹ and it doubtless originated as a chap-
lainry. The E. and W. walls contain, respectively, an
aumbry recess in the SE. corner and a small but deeply
moulded square-headed window, divided into two lights
by a mullion. In the S. gable-wall there was originally
a large, traceried window, but only the form of its
equilateral arch and chamfered surround survives,
together with a fragment of the tracery, as it was con-
tracted - presumably in the 17th century, to judge by its
hollow-chamfered surround - in order to match the
other work of that date. Beneath the S. window there is a
segmental-arched tomb-recess, with a hollow-chamfered

1 R.M.S. ii (1424-1513), No. 1628; Armstrong, W. Bruce,
The Bruces of Airth and their Cadets, 12 f.

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