CRUGGLETON CHURCH, Wigtonshire.
The parish of Cruggleton now forms part of the parish of Sorbie, with which it was united in the seventeenth century. The old church of Cruggleton is situated near the coast about three miles from Garleston,
Fig. 179.—Cruggleton Church. Chancel Arch, from West.
and about the same distance from Whithorn, to the priory at which it belonged before the Reformation. The church of Cruggleton, being abandoned, fell into decay. The view ([Fig. 179]), for which we have to thank Mr. Galloway, shows its condition before it was recently restored by the Marquis of Bute, under Mr. Galloway’s careful superintendence. The building is still surrounded by its burial-ground. The plan ([Fig. 181]) shows a simple oblong church, 34 feet in length by 20 feet in width, with an oblong chancel 20 feet 3 inches long by 16 feet wide. The side walls were considerably damaged, but enough of them remained
Fig. 180.—Cruggleton Church. Chancel Arch. From South-East.
to enable the outline to be distinctly traced. The best preserved and most important feature was the chancel arch, which was 8 feet in width. Its architecture, which was extremely simple, was of the early Norman style. It had three orders on the side next the nave (see [Fig. 179.]), each side having two nook shafts, built in courses and provided with cushion caps. The inner jambs were plain, and the aperture in the wall was simply faced with a square ingoing of ashlar, and enclosed on the side next the chancel ([Fig. 180]) with a single square-edged arch springing from a very plain impost.
Mr. Muir points out that when he visited the church the walls, “except the west one, which wants the gable, are at about their full height; but
Fig. 181.—Cruggleton Church. Plan.
most of the dressed stones have been torn from the corners of both compartments, the chancel arch and other parts easily got at.” He could not discern traces of there having
Fig. 182.—Cruggleton Church. North Doorway as Restored.
ever been more than two windows, “that on the east a small and very plain round headed one, widely splayed within, and the west one of the same shape, but much broader, and set square in the wall.” In the restoration carried out by Mr. Galloway great care has been taken to restore every part (so far as precedent could be obtained) to its original condition. As an example of Mr. Galloway’s patient research we may quote his account of the steps by which the original design of the south doorway was ascertained. “To begin with, a stone or two of the internal sconsions remained in situ. This gave the position and size internally of the long demolished doorway. Part of the paving and massive rubble steps at the outside also remained. Of the external features there seemed at first to be no trace. The discovery of one stone threw a flood of light on it. This was the base of a column which had never been shifted out of its position, but simply lifted and laid on its side, with the bottom bed outwards, so as to look like an ordinary courser. I also found about the same place several plain arch stones, also a capital of simple form, and from these materials, and especially the base found in situ, there could be no doubt that the external features were a plain ring like that of the chancel arch carried on engaged columns. In taking down some of a dry stone dyke a large rybat and an arch stone checked and chamfered were found, which could only be part of the actual doorway. The only uncertainty is the height; the original may have been lower, but we cannot be certain. I adhered to the proportions usual in other examples.” [Fig. 182] shows the restored doorway, “a recovery out of the long forgotten past.”