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Publication Account
Date 1985
Event ID 1016221
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016221
The present T-shaped church, built in 1732, is one of relatively few churches retaining wall-mounted boards painted with scriptural texts-an aide-memoire for the assembled congregation: The Lord's Prayer, The Ten Commandments .... A burial vault in the Blackadder Aisle is dated 1668 with mid 16th century effigies above, but the aisle itsel£ built by Robert Blackadder, Archbishop of Glasgow in 1499, is much altered so that only the two external, diagonal buttresses are of any great interest-they have canopied niches that held figures of saints.
Immediately to the west, however, stands a remarkably fine, large Norman doorway with elaborate capitals of late Norman date incorporating twisted scrolls emerging from human heads. The semi-circular arch consists of three equally elaborate carved orders. Two of these incorporate chevron patterns; the outermost a continuous 'embattled fret', edged with a small leaflike embellishment In a reasonable state of repair, the archway has been adapted as the entrance to a burial aisle.
A few kilometres further north, the ruins of Bunkle 'Old' Church (NT 808595) suggest one of the earliest Norman buildings in Berwickshire. The extreme simplicity of the apse and access arch from the chancel contrasts well with Edrom's arch and suggests a late 11th century date. The arch is a single, square-edged order the same thickness as the wall, whilst the semicircular semi-domed apse is covered with overlapping stones. Bunkle, like Preston church, belonged to the Bishopric of Dunkeld; the lands and church of Edrom, however, were granted by Gospatrick, Earl of Dunbar, to St Cuthbert's monks at Coldingham-a grant confirmed by David I in 1139.
Somewhat to the west, north of Earls ton, Legerwood Church (NT 594434) was also originally linked to Coldingham, though transferred to Paisley from 1163. The style and decoration of its chancel arch suggests a later 12th century date. On plan the church consisted of a rectangular nave and chancel. The nave is now incorporated in the later church; the chancel arch remains one of the best examples of Norman architecture in the area, with a small protrusion on the north-west capital featuring the grinning face of a demon or imp-a favourite Norman reminder of the presence of evil! At the back of a small recess in the chancel wall, traces of red painted decoration suggest a Christogram comprising a complete circle around a chalice, edged with sotne kind ofleafY pattern. Fragments of other such painted motifs survive nearby.
By contrast, at St Helen's or 'Aldcambus', away east of Cockburnspath (NT 803706), there is little left of the simple Norman church-though here, as at Edrom, hogback gravestones have been found.
Information from 'Exploring Scotland's Heritage: Lothian and Borders', (1985).
