Publication Account
Date 1985
Event ID 1016214
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016214
The Collegiate Church of St Matthew stands high on the west bank of the North Esk, a short distance from the picturesque ruin of the 15th century Sinclair castle. Replacing an earlier chapel, the church was established by William Sinclair in 1447:
"he caused artificers to be brought from other
regions and forraigne kingdomes, and caused
dayly to be abundance of all kind of workmen
present, as masons, carpenters, smiths,
barrowmen, and quarriers..."
The chapel was 'completed' by his son Oliver, though complete it is not Cruciform in intention, and to be comparable in scale with Edinburgh's vanished royal foundation, Trinity College, only the choir was built and parts of the east transept walls. A stair leads down to the sacristy some 5.2 m lower.
The choir has two aisles, with a third transverse aisle or ambulatory east of the sanctuary. Its four eastern chapels, reminiscent of 12th century Cistercian forms, probably reflect the influence of the destroyed 12th century church at the Cistercian abbey of Newbattle nearby.
Roslin is extraordinary, however, not so much for the size that it failed to attain, but for its stone carving. Every conceivable roofrib, capital, boss, arch and corbel is encrusted-whether human or animal figures, mouldings or foliage. Such a collection would be remarkable anywhere, in any age, but much the more so given the plainness and severity of late medieval Scottish architecture-apostles, martyrs, the Dance of Death, angels playing musical instruments, the Seven Virtuous Acts, the Seven Deadly Sins....Best known perhaps, but only one of a galaxy of marvels, the Prentice Pillar incorporates four strands of 'foliage' each starting from one of the base corners and spiralling through 1800 to the top. And around the base, winged serpents, necks intertwined, bite their own tails. The quite recent legend (a universal folk tale!) tells of the apprentice's initiative whilst the master-mason was abroad seeking inspiration; on his return, jealous master-mason kills apprentice with mallet.
Roslin was the most ambitious of all collegiate churches in Scotland. Smongst so much Gothic extravaganza it is as great a surprise to see still such a strongly Scottish feature as pointed tunnel-vaultingunderlining how Scottish and independent Roslin really is!
Information from 'Exploring Scotland's Heritage: Lothian and Borders', (1985).
