The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 3/3

by David MacGibbon; Thomas Ross

Fig. 1000.—Iona Cathedral.

Section of Arch Mouldings.

arches of the high chapel over the sacristy (see Fig. [983]) are of thirteenth century work, as their ornamentation would at first sight lead one to suppose, they might possibly have been re-erected in their present position; but they are more likely to have been made in imitation of thirteenth century work, and built here at a late period. The section of the arch mouldings (Fig. [1000]) is almost identical with that of the chapter house arches, which (as will be afterwards explained) are almost undoubtedly of very late date.

These arches gave a view of the altar from a high chapel, which, as will be pointed out, was perhaps connected with the library or dormitory. The chapel has been added to the church, and the walls are not bonded into the choir. The decoration of the upper portion, with its imitation dog-tooth or nail-head ornament round a straight sided arch (Fig. [1001]), shows that it is of very late date.

Fig. 1001.—Iona Cathedral. Interior of Sacristy and Chapel above.

This structure appears to occupy the position of the original north aisle, which at one time extended (or was contemplated) the full length from the presbytery to the north transept. The water table over the old aisle roof runs the whole length, and has a sloping water table where the roof abutted against the north transept. The old corbels to receive the timbers of the aisle roof also still exist. The aisle would no doubt block one of the Norman transept windows, but that could not be avoided.

The doorway from the choir to the sacristy (see Fig. [987]) is a very fine feature, and one would be inclined to consider it somewhat earlier than the other parts of the sacristy and upper chapel. Possibly it may have formed an access to the aisle before the upper chapel was raised to its present position.

The above examination of the choir, south aisle, and sacristy leads to the belief that they are all of a late period, probably about 1500. The entire building bears evidence of having been in whole or part re-erected about the end of the fifteenth century or the beginning of the sixteenth century, possibly when it became the Cathedral of the Isles in 1506. Some portions, such as the north transept, the north and west sides of the crossing, the wheel stair to the tower and parts of the walling connected therewith, are older; but all the rest, including the east and south arches of the crossing, is of a much later date. Besides the points to which attention has been drawn above, it may be noted that the buttresses of the choir, which from their form may have been raised from ancient bases, have on each angle a single bead on their lower part and a triple bead on the upper part (see Fig. [984]). The upper story of the tower, which is admittedly very late, has also a triple bead on the angles of the top story. May it not have happened that the building suffered from some cause, or was intentionally taken down and reconstructed about the end of the fifteenth or beginning of the sixteenth century? Such an event might account for the antique form of the buttresses, which may have been raised from existing portions of old buttresses; while the triple bead on their upper story would show the change of style introduced at the time of the reconstruction. It would also explain the preservation of the old doorway to the sacristy, while the upper parts of the walls were rebuilt. The very irregular appearance of the lower part of the north wall of the choir might also be thus accounted for. The interior string course on the north side, which rises in large steps from the sacristy door, is composed of stones partly enriched and partly plain, as if it formed part of a reconstruction in which old materials had been reused. The clerestory windows, with their ancient forms, are doubtless reproductions of the outlines which formerly existed.

The section of the south-east pier of the crossing (see Fig. [998]) shows that the south transept is of about the same period as the choir, the round responds in each corresponding with the circular piers of the choir, and the carved caps being very similar in both (see Figs. [989] and [990])); and the south wall of the transept, with its late traceried window and buttresses and base course, is evidently of the same period as the presbytery. The mouldings of the mullions are in both cases returned along the sills, an unusual and late arrangement.