LASSWADE CHURCH, Mid-Lothian.
Lasswade is a village on the south bank of the river Esk, about six miles south from Edinburgh. The old Parish Church stood, till 1866, in the ancient churchyard, on a height above the south side of the river. “It became a mensal church of the Bishopric of St. Andrews in the twelfth century, forming a prebend of St. Salvator’s Church; but was annexed to the Collegiate Church of Restalrig, in the reign of King James III.”[199]
Fig. 433.—Lasswade Church. Plan.
The old structure having become unsuitable, a new church was erected in 1793, and the old building was allowed to fall into ruins. Some portions, however, were preserved, and converted into mausoleums. In one of these aisles lie the remains of Henry Dundas, first Lord Melville; in another is buried the poet Drummond of Hawthornden.
The old church ([Fig. 433]) consisted of a single oblong chamber 20 feet in width, with a tower 16 feet square at the west end. The aisles, or
Fig. 434.—Lasswade Church. East, West, and North Elevations.
mausoleums, above referred to, are projected from the north side. The westmost is roofed with stone slabs, and has a picturesque appearance.
The tower and a portion of the church were of considerable age, and may be classed as Transition work. In 1866 the tower had become much crushed and dangerous. While steps were being taken by the heritors
Fig. 435.—Lasswade Church. South Elevation.
to have it strengthened the tower fell. The accompanying drawings were made before that event.
The tower ([Fig. 434]) was three stories in height, besides the gables of the saddle roof which crowned it. The entrance to the tower was from the inside of the church by a round-headed doorway (see East Elevation), with simple impost and plain arch with hood moulding. Above this was a large round-arched opening into the roof of the church. The two lower stories had narrow pointed windows. The top story had double-pointed lights, with central mullion in each face. This story had an enriched cornice, above which rose the east and west gables, each with a small round-headed window. A door had been knocked into the tower on the south side ([Fig. 435]), which, doubtless, helped to weaken it.
In a portion of the south wall of the church, near the tower, there was preserved an original doorway (see [Fig. 435.]) about 5 feet 6 inches wide. It resembled that to the tower in design, having plain jambs, with a string course forming the imposts, and a plain round arch above, enclosed with a hood moulding. All the above features seem to point to the structure being one of the first half of the thirteenth century.
Annexed is a sketch of the effigy of a knight in armour ([Fig. 436]), which is lying in the churchyard. There is no record of the knight’s name.
Fig. 436.—Effigy in Churchyard.