Fig. 923.—St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Norman Fragments.
In the south wall near the east end there is a double piscina in a recess, having a trefoiled head. The basins are round plain sinkings.
The nave appears to have been a structure of the same date as the choir. The pillar between it and the south aisle seems to be of the fifteenth century. At the east end of the south aisle there is a piscina in the south wall, set in a trefoil headed recess, similar to that in the choir.
The turret in the north-east angle of the nave aisle is carried to a considerable height. It is octagonal in the upper stories; and the top story, which forms the belfry, is pierced with eight small pointed windows (see [Fig. 915]), the mouldings round which form square frames above the arch-heads. The turret is finished with an octagonal spire of stone, and at the base of each angle of the spire there is a small stone pinnacle, now much worn away.
There still survive some fragments of carved work, which bear evidence of the former existence of an ancient church in Douglas. These fragments are portions of Norman capitals, which are piled up, as shown in the sketch, ([Fig. 923]), in the recess of the south aisle adjoining the turret. One cap shows a face with a fierce moustache, and others are good specimens of characteristic Norman design.
ST. BRIDE’S COLLEGIATE CHURCH, Bothwell, Lanarkshire.
Fig. 924.—St. Bride’s Collegiate Church. Plan.