Field Visit
Date 24 June 1926
Event ID 1099145
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1099145
Church of the Blessed Mary of the Rock.
The ruin of this church, consisting of little more than foundations, stands on the cliff overlooking the harbour but outside the abbey wall, from which it was separated by the Kirk Heugh, a hollow now levelled up. The remains are those of a cruciform church. The nave is believed to be the older part, but its walls are represented merely by their core, from which, however, fragments of carved stones were recovered. The foundation stones were bedded in clay (1) (cf. No. 454, p. 228). At the north-west angle are the foundations of a heavy buttress of Romanesque type and, on the north wall, of a single intermediate pilaster of slight projection. These data suggest for the nave a 12th-century date. At the junction with the north transept are indications of what was apparently an external stair.
The other parts show 13th-century masonry of ashlar, into which are built several sections of semi-shafts. At base there is externally a splayed ground-course, which also appears internally on the north side of the crossing. Towards the eastern end of the north wall of the choir is the entrance to a revestry, of which there is no other trace. The east gable has contained a double window. The footings for the altar and for the sedilia remain. The orientation of the later part diverges somewhat from that of the nave.
When the church was cleared in 1860, it was found that the floor of the eastern division or choir had been paved with coloured tiles. In the same place were found also a Celtic cross shaft and a tombstone of c. 14th century. The latter which has been left in situ, is much wasted but seems to bear a cross with graduated base and enriched head; on the sinister side are shears and on the dexter a short sword. To the north of the church lies a cope-shaped stone with a small transverse stone at the foot or eastern end.
DOORWAY. - In the wall which encloses the signal-station south of the ruin is a 15th-century doorway with a three-sided head like those in St. Salvator's Church (No. 461).
HISTORICAL NOTE. - This church probably occupies, or is near to, the site of the house of the Culdees at St. Andrews: in the list of "provosties" attached to the Scottchronicon it is said to have been founded by Constantine II, who died in 877. Before 1290, however, it had become a "provostry" or collegiate church of St. Mary and a royal chapel (2). It is specified in presentations of the first half of the 16th century as "the collegiate church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rock" or "of the Kirkheuch." Five prebendaries in addition to the provost are on record (3). Bishop Leslie states that in June 1559 the Earl of Argyll and the Prior of St. Andrews, afterwards Earl of Moray, "caused ... pull doune" among other buildings “the college kirke of Heuche” (4).
RCAHMS 1933, visited 24 June 1926.
(1) Handbook of St. Andrews; D. Hay Fleming, LL.D., p. 84. (2) Laing Charters, No. 15. (3) Reg. Sec. Sig., ii, passim. (4) History of Scotland (Bannatyne Club), p. 273.
