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St Andrews Cathedral, St Rule's Church And St Rule's Tower

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Church (12th Century), Tower (12th Century)

Site Name St Andrews Cathedral, St Rule's Church And St Rule's Tower

Classification Church (12th Century), Tower (12th Century)

Alternative Name(s) St Regulus Church

Canmore ID 34371

Site Number NO51NW 2.05

NGR NO 51475 16648

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/34371

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

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Digital Images

View from North West.
View from North West.View from East.Tower from NWLooking through slype doorway to St Regulus' tower.Sketches of St Andrews Cathedral and St Regulas tower.Oblique aerial view of St Andrews from south.View of St Rules Tower.General view of St Rules Tower from North West.General view from North West.Oblique aerial view.St Rule, St Andrews'MEMORIBILIA, JOn. SIME EDINr. 1840' page 67v pen/ink plan of cathedral, cloister and surrounding buildings with scale and many detailed notes including measurements.General oblique aerial view of the town centred on the remains of the cathedral and the harbour with the remains of the castle adjacent, taken from the S.South aisle, East Tower & St Regulus.St. Drostan's Church tower, Markinch, from North East, and St. Regulus' tower, St Andrew's. Lantern Slide.View from NW.St Rule's Tower. Detail of window.View of arch between tower and choir.Aerial view of Cathedral and St Rule's ChurchOblique aerial view including Castle and Cathedral from North.Site plan showing Abbey Walls, Precinct and principal monuments.View from South East.Drawing of North Elevation, St Regulus Tower, St Andrews.View from W showing S front of The Roundle and N gate of The Pends with church tower in backgroundDigital copy of page 68: Engraving showing general view of ruins of St Andrews Cathedral and the Chapel of St Rule, and ink sketches showing South side of the Nave and insides of West wall of South Transept and West wall of St Andrews Cathedral. 'MEMORABILIA, JOn. SIME EDINr. 1840'Arch between tower and choirLooking along south aisle to St Regulus.St Andrews. Fife-shire.View of east gable and St Rules tower.View of arch.St Rule's Tower. Detail of arch.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view.View from North West of Cathedral and St Rule's Church.Ground Floor plan.View from East of pier, Bell Rock Tavern and in background St Andrews Cathedral.St Andrews Cathedral and St Regulus Tower from the south east. Tower from SEFrom south westArch between tower and choirView from South EastView of St Rule's tower and surrounding church yard from SW. Titled: 'St Regulus Tower, St Andrews' Looking through slype doorway to St Regulus.Tower of St Regulus & part of Cathedral of St Andrews from the sea. Fife-shire.View from NW.View of arch.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view.Drawing of St Rule's Tower, St Andrews inscribed 'St Regulus Chapel, St Andrews, W Lyon 1870'.Photograph of drawing showing West ElevationPhotograph of drawing showing South Elevation.Oblique aerial view of St Andrews centred on the harbour with the cathedral and school adjacent, taken from the ESE.Exterior of St RulesRuins of the Cathedral of St Andrews. Fife-shire.Detail of stonework in St Rule's Tower.Oblique aerial view.View of facing wall of quay on the shore, buildings at the South end of Shorehead and Cathedral and St Rule's in the distance.St Rule's Tower, St AndrewsView of St Andrews Cathedral and St Regulus tower from North West.Tower from SView of west entrance.View of arch.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view including Castle and Cathedral from North.Photograph of drawing showing East Elevation.Photograph of drawing showing East Elevation.Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of the cathedral with the school adjacent, taken from the SW.Oblique aerial view centred on the harbour with the cathedral adjacent, taken from the SE.General oblique aerial view of the town centred on the remains of the cathedral and castle, taken from the S.Sketch of St Andrews Cathedral.Arch between tower and choir.St Rule's Tower. Detail of arch.Publication drawing; St Rule's Church. Photographic copy of plan.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view.View from east of Bell Rock House with St Andrews Cathedral in the backgroundSt Andrews Cathedral. View of Cathedral and St. Rule's Church from South East.Oblique aerial view centred on the remains of St Andrews cathedral with the school, harbour and remains of the castle adjacent, taken from the WNW.Cathedral and St RegulusSt Andrews Cathedral and Priory, The Pends, St Andrews. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south-west.Sketch of St Rule's Tower, St Andrews.General view of museum showing high cross.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view.E front of tower and quire with priory in backgroundSt Andrews Cathedral And St Regulus' Church, NO51NW 81, Ordnance Survey index card, Recto

Administrative Areas

  • Council Fife
  • Parish St Andrews And St Leonards
  • Former Region Fife
  • Former District North East Fife
  • Former County Fife

Architecture Notes

NO51NW 2.05 51475 16648

FROM ARCHITECTURE CATALOGUE:

Very small with fine high tower, probably 12th century, Chancel and tower intact, but Chancel roofless.

REFERENCE

ST ANDREWS PUBLIC LIBRARY

Hay Flemming Collection

Plans, elevations & sections 3/8" scale by Robert H Craig

"Wharram-le-Street Church, Yorkshire and St Rule's church, St Andrews" by John Bilson 1924, text, drawings & photographs, D5/F(P)

(publication missing from library at time of upgrade 12.6.1996)

Further Details

Activities

Publication Account (1981)

Standing to the south of the cathedral is the 108 feet high (32.92m) tower and ruined choir of St. Regulus Church. Neither the nave nor the sanctuary which was attached to the choir survives above ground. It is 'quite the most interesting of the earlier churches in Scotland' with features of both the Norman and the pre-Norman tradition (RCAM. 1933, 228).

Robert, the first prior of Scone, elected Bishop of St. Andrews, undertook the building of the church soon after his 1126 x 1127 consecration. Work is said to have proceeded slowly, for it was not until 1144 that the greater part of the church was said to have been completed. In 1159 Bishop Robert was buried in the church which was soon super-ceded by the present cathedral. Little is known of the structure of St. Regulus after that date. It appears to have escaped the 'fury' of the Reformers, and it was not until 1789 that we hear of repairs, including the removal of loose stones and the addition of a stairway in the tower's interior. Further work was carried out on the tower in 1841 (Roger, 1849, 83).

Information from ‘Historic St Andrews: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1981).

Further Details

Watching Brief (26 September 2016)

NO 5147 1665, NO 5152 1663 and NO 5145 1670 A watching brief was carried out, 26 September 2016, during the installation of three stone plinths to support new signage. All three trenches revealed similar sequences of a topsoil overlying a subsoil with mortar and stone inclusions. This lower deposit may represent the disturbed and redeposited soil of the cemetery. No bone was seen, and nothing of

archaeological significance was recorded.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

David Murray – Kirkdale Archaeology

(Source: DES, Volume 17)

Further Details

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