Basic Site Details Name: | Culross Abbey Church | Town, district or village: | Culross | City or county: | Fife | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | A listed | Grid ref: | | Notes: | Culross was originally a Cistercian monastery, founded in 1217 by Malcolm, the Seventh Earl of Fife. Considerable portions of the building still remain. The church itself, however, has passed through numerous vicissitudes and appears to have been altered and adapted at so many different periods that it is difficult to form any definite opinion of its original appearance. Previous to the beginning of last century, it appears largely to have fallen into decay and to have been "restored" in the style then so prevalent, when galleries were introduced, the walls and ceilings lathed and plastered, and new windows formed, with a total disregard to the evidences of the existing work. In the restoration which has just been completed the whole of the modern renovation has been cleared out, and the building reinstated in accordance with the evidences of the old work. The floor of the church has been lowered to its original level, and an entirely new roof erected. The interior of the walls, which are of scabbled ashlar, have again been exposed, along with all the moulded and ornamental work, and the old windows, etc . traces of which were found, have been repaired. The south transept aisle, which had at some period been demolished, has been re-built upon the old foundations. During the work considerable remains of the early monastic buildings, hitherto unknown, have been excavated, and ground on the south side of the church cleared away, exposing the original basis of the building at a considerable depth below the level of the ground, which had at some period been made up, probably being used as a depository for the excavations from the foundations of the adjoining Abbey House. The work has been carried out under the direction of Messrs Sir Rowand Anderson, LL.D, and Paul, architects, Edinburgh. [Building News 18 January 1907 p95]
| Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Church | | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1823 | | | Extensive repairs | | 1869 | | | Repairs to roof and session house | | 1878 | | | Repairs to vaulting and roof | | 1902 | 1905 | | Plans prepared for restoration | | 1905 | 1906 | | Restoration and new organ case | | 1923 | | | Alterations to pulpit |
PeopleDesign and Construction
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Cunningham, Andrew S | 1910 | Culross: past and present | | Leven | p 19 | | Gifford, John | 1988 | Fife (The Buildings of Scotland) | | | pp 146-151 | | Pride, Glen L | 1999 | The Kingdom of Fife | 2nd Edition | The Rutland Press | p25 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | British Architect | 17 April 1903 | | | p274 - Cost £5,000 | | Builder | 1903 | LXXXIV | | p 257 | | Builder | 1 December 1906 | XCI | | p 637 | | Building News | 18 January 1907 | XCII | | p 95 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 23960 | | | National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO) | Heritors Records | | HR158/1: 22 January 1869; HR 158/2: 14 October 1878, 24 May 1902, 27 July 1902, 12 February 1904, 5 April 1905, 26 July 1923 etc. | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | James Gillespie: L v17 no1289 |
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