Field Visit

Date 14 November 1923

Event ID 1087127

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1087127

RCAHMS County Inventory: East Lothian

Sometime after 1612 (cf. RCAHMS 1924, No. 24 Historical Note) this church was erected on a site north of the village; it is a long narrow structure with a west tower and a south cross aisle, the latter having been added in 1664. The north vestry, east porch and the upper part of the tower are modern. The aisle is ashlar built, while the other parts are of rubble. The former has heavily rusticated pilasters with pedestals at the southern angles; on each pilaster are the remains of a tablet sundial. The south gable has a coarse Renaissance pediment with an ensigned cartouche on the tympanum bearing a saltire within a bordure charged with eight thistle slips for James Maxwell Earl of Dirleton. These arms are represented on the Renaissance entrance in the east wall and again on the archway between aisle and church, in the last instance in association with a lozenge, also ensigned, charged: A large crosspate between four smaller ones, presumably the arms of Elizabeth Bousoyn (de Podolski?) Countess of Dirleton. The south window of the aisle is a late Gothic three-light window of unusually good design and execution for the period.

Internally the church is plain and has been modernised; the lowest storey of the tower is vaulted and access is given to the bell chamber above by a turret stair projecting from the north wall.

Monument.-Built into the east gable of the. church is a Renaissance monument probably of the early 18th century; a cartouche on the pediment is parted per pale and charged: dexter, within a bordure indented on a fess three cinquefoils (Heriot), and sinister, within a bordure wavy a buckle between three boars' heads erased (? for Ferguson).

RCAHMS 1924, 14 November 1923.