Fig. 743.—The Abbey of Inchcolm. North-East Angle of Cloister.
externally; and a choir to the east of the tower, of which a fragment survives, but which was subsequently superseded by a new choir. The church was lofty as compared with its width, as is apparent from the high pointed arches ([Figs. 741] and [742]) in the east and west walls of the tower. It is not now discoverable how the nave and choir were roofed, but from the absence of buttresses, and the built water tables in the tower with steep slope, the roof was most probably of timber. Over the arch leading from the tower to the choir there is a doorway (see [Fig. 741]), which gave access to a chamber in the roof. The church was entered from the cloister by a high pointed doorway ([Fig. 743]) in the south wall of the tower. Adjoining this, in the south wall, a wheel stair led to the upper stories of the tower. The nave has been much altered, but still retains along the north side an early trigonal string course. The south doorway and other details of the tower also indicate a date early in the thirteenth century (see the details of the doorway in [Fig. 750]). The tower (see [Figs. 741] and [742]) rises to two stories above the church roof, and contains windows, each having two smaller arches enclosed within a round arch, and having the spandrils pierced with simple quatrefoil openings. The parapet is supported by first pointed corbels ([Fig. 744]). In each of the north and south walls of the tower there was originally, at the level of the church, a single pointed lancet window, the upper part of which has in each case been preserved, although greatly altered at a later date. The upper part of the south window is visible in Fig. 743; and a similar portion of the north window is preserved over the door to the transept. The tower had simple buttresses at the angles, one of which is still preserved on the south side (see [Fig. 743]), where it has been incorporated with the later cloisteral structures, while the other buttresses have been altered. A fragment of the original choir also still survives in a portion of the south wall, which has been incorporated with the later building of the dormitory to the south. This fragment still retains, though built up, the plain round arch of a small window, and its large, round sconsion arch—the former now looking into the dormitory ([Fig. 745]), and the latter being visible in the interior of the choir (see [Fig. 741]). This window is, doubtless, of the period of the tower and nave. It has formed part of the exterior south wall of the choir, thus showing that the space opposite it was open, and that the dormitory, which is on the first floor, and blocks it up, has been added at a later period.
Fig. 744. The Abbey of Inchcolm.
Corbels of Parapet of Tower.
What the original form of the cloister buildings may have been it is now difficult to determine. As has been pointed out above, their arrangement is very unusual, the cloister walk occupying the whole of the ground floor, and the domestic buildings being on the first floor. This arrangement is quite contrary to that generally adopted, the usual plan being to have a one-story cloister walk round the court, giving access on the ground floor to the sacristy, chapter house, &c., in the east range, to the refectory in the south range, and to the cellars, &c., in the west range. At Inchcolm the ambulatory, or cloister walk—about 15 feet wide—occupies the whole of the ground floor round the east, south, and west sides of the square, while the church stands on the north side. This arrangement would be somewhat awkward as regards the principal entrance to the church through the tower, which would be left in the open court without any covered way leading to it. An attempt has been made at a late date to obviate this drawback by continuing a one-story cloister walk round the north side of the court (see [Fig. 737]).
