The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 1/3

by David MacGibbon; Thomas Ross

KELSO ABBEY, Roxburghshire.

In 1113, David, Earl of Huntingdon, introduced thirteen Reformed Benedictine monks from Tiron, in France (hence called Tironenses), and settled them at Selkirk, near his castle there. But the place was not found suitable, and in 1128, after David had become king, the monks, with the consent of the Bishop of Glasgow, were removed to Kelso, where they were established near the royal castle of Roxburgh. The foundation of the new abbey was laid in 1128, and the church was dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist. The monastery soon became the richest and most powerful in Scotland. In 1165 the Pope granted permission to the abbot to wear the mitre, and the abbot claimed precedence of all the superiors of monasteries in Scotland. But in 1420 this precedence was decided by James I. in favour of the Prior of St. Andrews. Many of the abbots of Kelso were men of learning and celebrity, and were employed in important offices in and out of the kingdom, and others were promoted to bishoprics.

During the War of Independence the abbey, which lay near the Border, suffered severely. The monastery was laid waste, and the monks were supported by contributions from the other houses of the order. In 1344, the buildings of the abbey having been destroyed by fire, David II. granted permission to the monks to cut wood in Selkirk and Jedwart Forest, to enable them to carry out the necessary reparations.

In 1511 the abbacy passed into the hands of the Bishop of Caithness, as commendator, and its decline soon followed. After the Battle of Flodden, in 1513, David Ker of Cessford took possession of the abbey, and had his brother made abbot. In 1522-3 invasion and havoc spread over Teviotdale. Lords Ross and Dacre pillaged the town, sparing the

Fig. 311.—Kelso Abbey. Ground Plan.

abbey; but in 1523 Lord Dacre sacked and burned it. The abbot’s house and buildings surrounding it, the Chapel of the Virgin, and the cells of the dormitory were all reduced to ashes; the lead was stripped from the roof, and the abbey rendered uninhabitable. All religious services were stopped, and the monks had to retire in want and poverty to a village near. From 1536 till 1558 James Stewart, natural son of James V., filled the office of abbot, and drew the revenues. In 1542 the Duke of Norfolk,

Fig. 312.—Kelso Abbey. South Side of Chancel and South Transept.

and in 1545 the Earl of Hertford, again attacked and further destroyed the monastery. On the latter occasion the defenders sought refuge in the tower, which they defended till darkness enabled some of them to escape. The shattered walls seem still to have afforded some shelter; but they

Fig. 313.—Kelso Abbey. From South-East.

were again still further reduced by Lord Eure in 1546. Finally, in 1560, when a few monks still remained, the buildings were attacked by the mob, and all the remaining fittings and furnishings destroyed. In 1559 the revenues and property of the abbey had been taken possession of by the Lords of the Congregation in the name of the Crown.

These were afterwards distributed amongst the favourites of James VI., and were finally conferred on Sir Robert Ker of Cessford, who was created

Fig. 314.—Kelso Abbey. Crossing and North Transept.

Lord Roxburgh in 1599. The abbey still belongs to his successor, the Duke of Roxburgh, and the remains of the late Duke are buried in the south transept.

In 1649 a vault was thrown over the transept, so as to convert it into a parish church, and above this another vault served as a prison. This is shown in Grose’s view, made a century ago.

Fig. 315.—Kelso Abbey. From West.

During service on a Sunday in 1771, a panic was caused by the fall of a fragment of cement, and the church was thereafter abandoned. The ruins were partly disencumbered by the Duke of Roxburgh, 1805-16, and in 1823 the buildings were repaired by the noblemen and gentlemen of the county.[182]

After the many batterings and the long neglect the abbey church has endured, it is astonishing to find even the fragments which still exist.

The edifice has consisted ([Fig. 311]) of a choir or chancel of considerable length, with north and south aisles, and of a transept and nave, without aisles. The north and south divisions of the transept and the nave form three arms of equal length round the three sides of the crossing, above which rises the massive square tower.

The church has been originally constructed in the late Norman style of about the end of the twelfth century, passing into the transition style; but the upper part of the tower has been rebuilt at a later period.

A portion of each of the departments of the church survives, but in the case of the chancel there remains only a fragment. The chancel is the only part which had aisles, but these have now entirely disappeared; and of the chancel itself, all that remains ([Fig. 312]) is two of the south main piers, with their arches, and two stories of arcades above, which represent the triforium and clerestory. This arrangement is peculiar, and the effect is striking.

Fig. 316.—Kelso Abbey. West Doorway.

The main piers consist of a circular column, five feet in diameter, with smaller attached half-columns on three sides to carry the moulded arches between the main piers and the arches between the latter and the aisles. The piers have caps of the usual Norman modified cushion pattern, and the arches were moulded and arranged in several orders. The arcade immediately over the main arches has a row of single round shafts, with spreading Norman caps, which carry a series of moulded arches, occupying the position of the triforium. The upper arcade, which takes the place of the clerestory, has shafts of triple form, with wide-spreading bases and caps of Norman and transition design. On the latter rest the round boldly-moulded arches. The arches opposite the windows in the outer wall are slightly larger than the others. It will be observed that there is no main vaulting shaft carried up over the main piers, as is almost invariably the case, for the purpose of strengthening the wall. On the contrary, the triforium arcade is continuous, and no provision is made to support the side wall, except the single shafts of the running arcade, which have a very weak effect. In the usual arrangement the triforium arches are separated by a substantial piece of wall, including a vaulting shaft, and the triforium arch, which is generally subdivided into several subordinate arches, is introduced between the vaulting shafts.

That is a much more substantial form of construction, and also more satisfactory to the eye, than the plan adopted here of a simple continuous arcade.

Fig. 317.—Kelso Abbey. North End of Transept.

The clerestory is designed on the same principle as the triforium, and consists of a continuous arcade, without the interruption of the vaulting shafts.

In the view of the exterior of this portion of the choir ([Fig. 313]), the outside of the windows of the clerestory is visible, being simple round-headed openings, with flat buttresses between them. The remainder of the wall is plain, but, judging from the level of the triforium window, the vaulting of the aisle, which was very high, and partly covered the windows, seems to have been added at a later date. The choir was 28 feet in width from centre to centre of the piers, only two of which survive.

The crossing is square, and measures 28 feet from centre to centre of the piers; but of these the north-east one is wanting. The piers are about nine feet square, that at the south-east angle standing detached in consequence of the opening into the south aisle, while those at the north-west and south-west angles are incorporated with the walls.

The piers are designed as a series of shafts set in square nooks (four on each of the complete sides), with a larger semicircular shaft at each angle. (See Figs. [312] and [314].) The shafts are all built in courses with the piers. They have transition bases and caps. From the latter spring large pointed arches, with plain chamfered orders. The pointed arch indicates the transitional character of this part of the building. It was probably introduced in this position to give strength to sustain the tower.

As already mentioned, the three arms of the cross branching to the north, south, and west from the crossing are of equal size. This is a

Fig. 318.—Kelso Abbey. Doorway of North Transept.

very unusual arrangement, the western arm or nave being generally much the longest division of the church. We have not heard any satisfactory explanation given of the shortness of the nave of Kelso. This arrangement of plan has apparently been part of the original design, as the western doorway ([Figs. 315] and [316]) is one of the most prominently Norman portions of the edifice. The upper part of the west front (see [Fig. 315.]), although much broken away, has been in the transition style; while the Norman arcading, which runs round the interior of the nave, was continued across the west end.

The nave and the north and south transept each measure about 22 feet in width by 18 feet in length. Each contains four stories in height (Figs. [315] and [317]), consisting of an interlacing arcade of Norman work in the interior of the ground level, and three stories of windows above. The upper arcades of the choir do not extend round the nave and transepts, except in a portion of the south transept. (See [Fig. 312.]) Another arrangement was found desirable in those portions where there were no aisles, as windows could be obtained in that case; while, with aisles (as in the choir), the first floor was darkened by the roof of the

Fig. 319.—Kelso Abbey. Plan of Doorway in North Transept.

aisles. The windows in the different stories of the nave and transept have all round arches, both outside (see [Fig. 315.]) and inside, the former having one plain square-edged order supported on nook shafts. Of these the caps and bases only are now for the most part in existence. The exterior is marked at each angle by broad and shallow Norman buttresses, with nook shafts in the angles, and an interlacing arcade running round the lower story, both internally and externally.

In the façades of the west end and north transept the windows of the different stories have been grouped so as to form distinct designs. In the west end, over the great west doorway (see [Fig. 315.]), there has been an arrangement of tall windows of apparently lancet form, having on either side an interlacing arcade of round arches, supported on tall banded shafts. This is now, unfortunately, greatly destroyed. Above the arcade there runs a horizontal flat cornice, enriched with several rows of carved ornaments, and this was surmounted by a large opening of quatrefoil shape, surrounded with numerous mouldings and enrichments. The angle buttresses have been crowned with octagonal turrets.

Fig. 320.—Kelso Abbey. Section through Transept from North to South.

The north wall of the north transept (see [Fig. 317.]) has a fine transition door-piece ([Fig. 318]), which occupies the two lower stories. The next two stories have two windows in each, separated by a small buttress, the upper one of these stories having three arches in the interior. (See [Fig. 314.]) Above these stories is a small circular window, with a curious saving arch over it, and the whole is crowned with a top story, containing three round-headed openings, and a gable with a small circular aperture. The buttresses at the angles are crowned with circular turrets, which have been finished with a projecting parapet, the corbels for carrying which still survive. The upper part of the gable shows signs of having been altered.

It may be pointed out that the west front and the façade of the north transept are good illustrations of the Norman and Transition styles

Fig. 321.—Kelso Abbey. Plan at Triforium Level, showing Passages in Walls, &c.

of designing such elevations. The north transept shows the early manner of dividing the façade into several stories, piled one above the other; while the west front, which is chiefly in the transition style, indicates the beginning of the later form of façade, in which the whole front is treated as a single design.

The west doorway and the north door-piece are especially interesting. The former is a remarkably rich specimen of the elaborate carved work which characterised the late Norman period. Unfortunately, the south half of this door-piece has perished. But, from what remains (see [Fig. 315.]), it is evident that it consisted of a large door-piece, or quasi-porch, projecting upwards of 5 feet, and finished with a sloping gable, with

Fig. 322.—Kelso Abbey. Plan at Clerestory Level, showing Passages in Walls, &c.

stone roof. The jambs (see [Fig. 316.]) contained five detached shafts set in nooks, and having Norman bases and carved caps. Over each of these shafts there springs a circular order, carved with rich Norman ornament, now, however, very much decayed. The jambs of the doorway also formed moulded shafts, supporting their order in the arch.

The door-piece in the north wall of the transept (see [Fig. 318.]) is also a prominent feature. It projects about 4 feet 6 inches from the main wall, is carried up two stories, and is roofed in with a sloping stone roof.

The lower story contains the doorway ([Fig. 319]), which is 5 feet 6 inches wide, and has plain jambs. It is set back about 3 feet 6 inches, and the ingoing for about 2 feet is square, and contains two shafts of ordinary size, with a small one between them; then follows a nook containing a shaft, and then the jamb. The shafts have the usual Norman caps and bases. The mouldings of the arch (see enlarged outline in [Fig. 319.]) are peculiar in their profile. They are enriched—the outer one with small medallions, the central one with the billet, and the inner one with rosettes. Above the archway there is an arcade of interlacing round arches, the shafts, which are gone, having Norman caps. The tympanum of the gable is covered with a reticulation of round beads or rolls.

Fig. 323.—Kelso Abbey. Upper Stages of Tower.

The tower (see Figs. 315 and 320), of which the south and west sides and a small portion of the north and east sides remain, is 35 feet square over the walls. It is carried up with plain masonry externally, but the interior has immediately over the great arches of the crossing an arcade of round moulded arches, supported on triple shafts similar to those of the choir. Above this arcade is another story containing simple round arched openings, which are lighted on the exterior by circular windows containing quatrefoils. Over this tier is the top story, which contains three pointed and deeply-recessed windows on each side of the tower. Broad flat buttresses are placed at each angle of the tower, similar to those of the main building, and these were, no doubt, originally finished with turrets like those of the transepts.

It has already been said that the upper part of the tower is later than the lower part. This is apparent from the pointed windows of the top story, and the quatrefoiled circular windows of the story beneath. The lower story immediately over the great arches is, without doubt, of about the same date as the choir.

The approach to the upper floors is now by one staircase in the north-west angle of the transept, but there were, doubtless, other similar staircases in parts of the structure now removed. This staircase gives access to passages which run round the building on every floor ([Figs. 321] and [322]) between the arcades and the outer walls. In the angles of the tower there are small wheel stairs leading to every floor, and passages running round the tower on every story ([Fig. 323.]) These arcades and passages have tended to weaken the structure, which it has been found necessary to strengthen with numerous iron tie-rods, iron beams, &c.

There was an outer door in the south-west angle of the transept, and another in the north wall of the nave adjoining the crossing.

Fig. 324.—Kelso Abbey. Caps and Enrichments of Arcade.

The style of the caps of the arcade on the ground floor ([Fig. 324]) is somewhat florid and unusual. The interlacing arches are also in some places much carved and ornamented, and some portions are wonderfully well preserved.

A recess for a tomb is seen in the south wall of the transept (see [Fig. 312.]), and in the recess beneath there are two ambries or lockers and a piscina, the only one remaining in the building.

To the south of the transept there is a vaulted chamber, 26 feet long by 10 feet 6 inches wide, which may have been the sacristy. It has a wide entrance from the west, and an arcade with detached shafts and round arches has run along each side. There has been a window at the east end, and in the north-east angle a passage leading at a doorway to the exterior, and also probably into the church.