east-lothian-1924/05-130

Transcription

NORTH BERWICK.] HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. [NORTH BERWICK.

According to a record, now amissing, the Kirk
Session, in determining on a new church (see
previous article), resolved " rather to change
the site of the parish church than to rebuild
the arches or bridges connecting the kirk with
the shore " (cited in Guide to North Berwick,
pub. Melville p. 15).
There was also a hospital for poor folk and
pilgrims nearby from the latter half of the
twelfth century, the pilgrims being apparently
destined for St. Andrews by the "Earl's ferry,"
and another fragment of building at Earlsferry
on the Fife shore marks the position of the
corresponding hospital there. In Sept.

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 97.-Stone Moulds from North Berwick (No. 103).

1560 Robert Lauder of the Bass, as " un-
doubted patron of the hospital of poor brothers
(confratrum pauperum) and of the perpetual
chaplainry of the same near the vill of North-
berwyk perpetually founded and situated at
the shrine or chapel of the aforesaid and
described (hujus modi) hospital," presented
George Lyell to the chaplainry in succession
to James " Cowhen " (Cowan) and invested
him in possession by presentation of the key
of the said chapel and of the lodging built
over it (camere ejusdem desuper constructe et
situate).3 The site of the hospital has been
fixed in Quality Street.
There was a graveyard at the church, but
much of this has been eroded away by the sea
and with it other ruinous portions of building.4
In the graveyard was found a portion of a stone
mould for making pilgrim's badges or signs and
ring brooches. One badge (fig. 97) displayed a

58

figure of St. Andrew, and was attached to some
part of the dress by loops at the four corners.5

1 Fraser's Douglas Book iii., No. 150, pp.
165-6 ; 2 Inquis. Spec. Hadd., Nos. 365, 366 ;
3 Carte Monialium de Northberwic, passim ;
4 Wilson's Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, ii.,
p. 505 ; 5 Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot. vol. xli. (1906-7),
p. 431.
ii. N.E. 23 June 1919.

104. Cistercian Convent, North Berwick.-
What survives of this foundation lies within the
grounds of a modern residence 200 yards
south-west of North Ber-

[illustration continued]
FIG. 97.-Stone Moulds from North Berwick (No. 103).

wick railway station, and
consists of an oblong range
of conventual buildings (fig.
98) running east and west
constructed of local rubble
with yellow freestone dress-
ings. The western portion
has been two storeys and an
attic in height. The base-
ment floor contains four
cellars ceiled with semi-
circular barrel-vaults. The
floor above has traces of a
fireplace in the west gable
and was lit by small lintelled
windows in the lateral walls.
In the east gable is a large
pointed arched window or door, which opened
into the upper floor of an oblong two-storeyed
building in line with the western portion, of
which only the much altered north wall is now
standing. Midway between these buildings
there projects on the north a square tower built
of ashlar, which is evidently an addition of the
late 16th century. It rises from a splayed base-
ment course and has contained at least four
storeys within the roof. The basement storey,
like the other chambers on this floor, is ceiled
in stone. A circular turret is corbelled out at
the north-eastern angle and is enriched by two
string courses, the upper of which returns
across the face of the square tower and, like
the basement course, around a circular tower,
built within the west re-entering angle which
contains a fairly spacious circular stair leading
to the upper floors of the west portion and
square tower. This staircase is partly built of