Archaeology Notes

Event ID 711414

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/711414

NT24SW 25.00 24602 40583

NT24SW 25.01 24592 40646 Cemetery

NT24SW 25.02 24669 40603 Lodge

(NT 2459 4058) St Andrew's Church (NR) (remains of)

OS 6" map (1965)

Old Parish Church of St Andrew, Peebles: There was a church at Peebles as early as the first quarter of the 12th century, and it is on record that the church of St Andrew of Peebles was dedicated by Jocelin, Bishop of Glasgow, in 1195. Later references to the medieval parish church are frequent, but give few clues as to the nature or condition of the fabric, although it is known that a chapel of St Mary was "biggit within the Paroch Kirk" by John Geddes of Rachan in or before 1427. In 1543, the church was erected into a collegiate foundation, but six years later Peebles was burnt by an English army and the church was so severely damaged as to be incapable of repair except at very great expense. In 1560, therefore, the parishioners were granted the use of the Cross Kirk (NT24SE 4). Some attempts were made to preserve what remained of the fabric, and the burial ground remained in use, but the church was being quarried for building materials in the late 16th and 17th centuries. In 1790 little more was left of the fabric than remains today; the tower was drastically restored by Dr Chambers towards the end of the 19thc. The existing remains are so fragmentary, and have been so thoroughly restored, that it is difficult to ascribe them to any particular period. A plan of the churh, drawn up in 1897, but incorporating material derived from the OS 25" map of 1858, indicates that the building comprised a W tower, a nave c. 72' x 32' internally. Both choir and nave evidently had N aisles, the nave also having a small chapel projecting from the centre of its N wall. There is nothing in this plan to contradict the commonly-held opinion that some portions at least of this building may have formed part of the church dedicated in 1195 Archer's drawings (in the NMRS) of 1836 and 1838 clearly indicate that the contrast between the upper and lower parts of the tower, clearly visible today, is not entirely a result of Dr Chambers' restoration, but indicates a partial rebuilding of the tower in medieval times.

The tower measures c. 21' x 19' 9" over 3' 9" thick walls, and appears originally to have incorporated 3 mains storeys. All its red sandstone dressings date from the late 19th century restoration.

Part of the N wall of the N nave-aisle also survives; it is 48' long, 37 4" wide and 12' high. The wall is ivy clad and no features of interest can be distinguished apart from a doorway which the dressed stone margins have been mostly removed.

This doorway probably gave access to the chapel, quite possibly that of 1427, later known as Geddes' Aisle.

RCAHMS 1967, visited 1961

Only the tower and part of the north wall are all that remain of St Andrew's Church.

Resurveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (EGC) 5 March 1962