Fig. 536.—Inchmahome Priory. North-West Angle of Nave.
The nave is 75 feet in length, and its width varies, being 23 feet 8 inches at the east and 27 feet 2 inches at the west end. This difference seems to have arisen from the south wall having been rebuilt. The nave has a north aisle connected with it by four arches, two of the piers and arches of which are still standing ([Fig. 536]). The caps, bases, and sections of piers and arch mouldings ([Fig. 537]) are all good first pointed work. The west doorway is also very fine, and is pretty well preserved ([Fig. 538]). It comprises a central pointed doorway with deep ingoing, having numerous shafts with moulded caps and bases, and a deep series of first pointed mouldings in the arch head ([Fig. 539]). On each side of the central doorway are two pointed wall arches with similar caps and mouldings, but with only a shallow recess. The spandrils between the arches contain trefoil and quatrefoil recesses.
There are the remains of a tower at the north-west angle of the nave ([Fig. 540]), but this has been a later addition. There seems, from the original base course, to have been a tower of some kind here from the first, but it has evidently been rebuilt, and divided into stories, as if for habitation. In this operation the arches of the nave and aisle adjoining, which were originally open, were built up with rubble, but that has now been cleared out again.
On the south side of the choir is situated the chapter house (see [Fig. 533]), 24 feet in length by 15 feet in width internally. It is vaulted with a semicircular tunnel vault, over which there is a room in the roof (see [Fig. 534]). The chapter house has a good east window, and there is the usual stone seat all round. An outside staircase led to the upper apartment. The cloisters and cloister garth have been situated to the south of the nave; the corbels for the cloister roof still remain. There is no south aisle, and there are no south windows or buttresses to the nave along what was the cloister walk. To the south of these structures are several remains of the monastic buildings, but much destroyed.
The kitchen and offices at the south end (see Plan) are the best preserved portions, having the fireplace, windows, water drain, &c., and the kitchen is still covered with a plain round tunnel vault, over which there was an upper floor. The refectory probably ran along the south side of the cloister. A staircase near the kitchen led to the dormitory, of which it would form the day access.
Pier.