Trinity College Church was a very fine specimen of the Scottish Gothic architecture of the fifteenth century. It showed (as has been pointed out in the Introduction) that much of the middle pointed or decorated style continued to be used in this country long after it had been given up in England. This view is supported by Richman, who says of this church: “The interior is a very beautiful decorated composition, with the capitals of the piers enriched with foliage, not exceeded in design or execution in any English cathedral”; and he also adds, “This building is all of good decorated character, and deserving of minute examination and study.” During the erection of the church “the master of works” was John Halkerston, who, in recent books, is frequently referred to as the architect; but, as has been pointed out elsewhere,[50] he seems to have acted as paymaster, not as designer.
The church (Fig. [1016])[51] consisted of a choir, with north and south aisles, and a five-sided eastern apse, north and south transepts, with the commencement of a tower over the crossing, and a north sacristy. The nave was never erected, the arch leading to the west from the transept being built up, and having a circular window inserted therein. It is supposed that the progress of the structure was arrested by the death of the foundress, which occurred in 1463. The choir, including the apse, was 69 feet in length by 25 feet in width internally. The north and south aisles extended along the three bays of the choir, the north aisle
Fig. 1016.—Trinity College Church. Plan.
being 13 feet wide and the south aisle 9 feet wide. The apse was the full width and height of the central choir, and had a lofty window in each of its three central divisions. The transepts had small projections; the whole internal length of the transept, including the crossing, being 74 feet and the width 24 feet.
The choir and aisles were roofed with fine groined vaulting. That of the side aisles was simple, but the vault of the choir was ornamented with ridge ribs and several intermediate ribs, or tiercerons, springing from vaulting shafts, supported on corbels and provided with carved caps, and all the vaults were studded with carved bosses. The effect of the vaulting of the apse was specially beautiful. Each bay of the choir had clustered piers (Fig. [1017]), with finely carved capitals. Above these was a string course, then a piece of plain wall in the space usually occupied by the triforium, and the whole was crowned with the traceried clerestory
Fig. 1017.—Trinity College Church.
Piers of Choir.