Publication Account
Date 1985
Event ID 1016223
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016223
On a rise above the burn stands one of the most interesting of the smaller Benedictine houses in Scotland. Bede mentions a religious house at Coldingham in the mid 7th century; it was destroyed by the 'Danes' in AD 870 and a new charter granted in 1098 to monks ofSt Cuthbert at Durham by King Edgar of Scotland. This church was dedicated c1100, but there is no suggestion of a priory before 1147. All the priors were English until the late 15th century when the link with Durham was finally broken, but paradoxically, whilst the monks were subject to the English king, the priors were subject to the King of Scotland. The priory was open to 'attack' therefore, in peace or in war! By 1509, it was attached to Dunfermline Abbey; after 1560 and the Reformation, it shared the fate of other religious houses.
Originally cruciform, with cloisters and domestic buildings adjacent to the south wall, all that remains is the long aisleless choir and sanctuary, now the parish church. Most of the church was rebuilt in 1662 with the porch added in 1854; the north and east walls, though, are largely original.
The interior is particularly attractive with strong horizontal lines accentuated by the two-storey division and continuous arcading. The lower storey incorporates an arcade of pointed arches; the upper division, built as a clearstory with lancet-shaped windows, contains a central passage in the thickness of the wall. Outside, the north and east walls are similarly divided with arcadingi and broadly-speaking the style is late Norman/Transitional, probably dating to the early 13th century.
Not far away lie a number of interesting graveslabstwo of them commemorating priors, Radulphus (died c1198) and Ernaldus (died early 13th century). A fine collection of medieval cross-slabs includes some with incised Latin crosses, some with Greek crossesi some displaying incised swords, one also a hunting horn.
Information from 'Exploring Scotland's Heritage: Lothian and Borders', (1985).
