LEGERWOOD, Berwickshire.
Fig. 276.—Legerwood Church. Window.
Legerwood stands in the hilly region, about four miles north-east from Earlston Station. The parish church is old, and has been often repaired. Attached to it, but entirely cut off by a wall, are the roofless
Fig. 275.—Legerwood Church. Plan.
ruins of the original Norman chancel ([Fig. 275]), which is complete, and measures internally 17 feet 4 inches square. It is fairly preserved, and contains some good Norman work. The chancel arch is entire, but is partly concealed on the face with plaster, and the ingoing is entirely hidden by the stone wall, which separates the chancel from the church. There is a 10 inch diameter round shaft in each internal angle, which is continued up as high as the walls, but there are no indications of vaulting. A small round-headed window, 9 inches wide, is introduced in the centre of the east and north sides ([Fig. 276]), and apparently a doorway has existed in the south wall. The chancel arch has been large, being about 14 feet 8 inches wide, including the columns, and is enriched with shafts and carving; but, unfortunately, it is so built up that only portions are visible. The caps and mouldings, so far as they can be seen, are shown in Fig. 277. The
Fig. 277.—Legerwood Church. Caps.
ornament consists largely of square facets, with various forms of sinkings. A small recess, 11 inches deep, 15 inches wide, and 17 inches high, which occurs in the north wall, is
Fig. 278.—Legerwood Church. Recess in North Wall.
shown in Fig. 278. It has not been fitted with a door.
Masons’ marks are distinctly chiselled on the stones of the chancel. Throughout the chancel there are clear indications of coloured decorations, consisting of a cross or star in red on a circularly-shaped ground of white. [Fig. 278] shows one on the wall, and another in the recess.
Till the Reformation the Church of Legerwood belonged to Paisley Abbey, to which it was granted in 1163; but “John Priest of Ledgureside” is found witnessing a charter granted in 1127 by Robert, Bishop of St. Andrews, in favour of the Priory of Coldingham. The modern church appears to occupy the site of the original nave, as its east wall and part of the return of the side walls are old. The nave measures 47 feet 10 inches long by 27 feet 9 inches wide. A piece of stone carved with Celtic interlaced work is built into the south wall near the west end, and on the corner there is a double sundial, bearing the initials W. G., and the date 1682.