Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

Architecture Notes

Event ID 748580

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Architecture Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/748580

See also NM22SE 5 01 and for replica NM22SE 4 05.

Iona, Iona Abbey.

IG Lindsay Collection, 29 - early drawings.

IG Lindsay Collection, W/1.

Iona, Iona Abbey.

Information from Brian Edwards, Old Schoolhouse, Causewayend. Kirknewton, 17/2/1986.

I notice that in your report on Iona, you atrribute a set of plans to Peter MacGregor Chalmers which should really I think be attributed to John Honeyman. The plans in question AGD/23/630-635 all bear the address of Honeyman ie: 140 Bath St, Glasgow. The plans are mentioned in 2 letters from John Honeyman to Thackeray Turner at SPAB. In the first (30 June 1891) Honeyman says:

'I have been asked (by the Duke of Argyll) to report on the practicability of roofing in part of the building and have reported that it is quite practicable to roof the choir, the central tower and the south transept without interfering with any of the old work and I strongly recommend that this should be done in order to preserve thenvery interesting old work..'

But three months later Honeyman reports to Turner again (10 Oct 1891):

'I regret very much to say that the idea of doing something of the same kind (as at Dunblane) at Iona has been abandoned. I feel that you may regard this rather as a matter of congratulation but in that I think you are entirely mistaken. The style of the drawings (especially AGD/23/634) suggests that if anybody helped Honeyman it may well have Sandy MacGibbon whose article on Iona appeared in 'The Builder' in 1893 (pp336-40). I know Chalmers prepared plans much later (1908) but I think three 1891 plans were produced by Honeyman or at least under his direct guidance.

John Honeyman was the Glasgow correspondent of SPAB from 1878-1891 and almost the society's sole Scottish member. His observations on Scottish cathedrals undergoing restoration are of much interest and figure largely in my PhD thesis presently in preparation.

Iona, Iona Abbey.

Ross sketch books MS 28/463/13/1-6 - architectural detail

8/29 sedilla

People and Organisations

References