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Reconstruction of Abbey as it was in the Middle ages |
A GREAT ECCLESIASTICAL
BUILDING The reconstruction
on the left shows what a large and handsome building Cambuskenneth Abbey must
have been. All that now remains of
one of the greatest Scottish abbeys, within whose walls the Parliament of
Scotland frequently met, is a mere ground plan of the building in stones and
a solidly built Gothic Tower. No country was so fortunate in its kings as Scotland, but few so
unfortunate in its nobles. David 1st,
the youngest son of Malcolm Canmore, the greatest of our kings, in his fight
for his people against the lawless barons, founded 11 abbeys, |
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Ground plan of the Abbey |
11bishoprics, and
other religious institutions throughout Scotland to spread knowledge, the art
of building, and the science of agriculture.
The abbeys served Scotland well.
Although Scotland was often harried by wars through the Imperialist
aggression of England, and suffered severely from its warring barons during
the numerous regencies, or when a weak king sat on the throne, Scotland
became one of the great trading nations of Europe. THE FOUNDATION OF THE ABBEY Cambuskenneth was founded by David 1 in 1147,
appropriated for the monks of the Order of St.Augustine from Arrouaise Abbey
near Arras, France, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. For about fifty years after its foundation
the church was called St.Mary’s of Stirling in all the charters
relating to it. In 1201, however, the
name was changed to the Church of St.Mary of Cambuskenneth. The name Cambuskenneth
signifies the field or creek of Kenneth, after Kenneth 11., who fought a
battle in the 9th century with the Picts on the isthmus on which the abbey is
built thus helping to ensure his control over most of Scotland. |
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Cloister The square open area around which the main buildings were grouped |
ABBEY
ENDOWMENTS For perpetual endowment David gave the lands
adjoining the abbey, lands in the parish of St.Ninians, the lands of
Tullibody, with various fishings and tithes, and afterwards conferred on it
the church of Clackmannan and lands near Linlithgow. He also gave the lands of Touch Molar;
building sites at Stirling and Linlithgow; and several other possessions. From time to time succeeding Scottish
sovereigns conferred lands and churches in every part of the kingdom on its
canons and Cambuskenneth became extremely wealthy. Sheep were farmed at the time of the Abbey on the Ochils when
much of the Hillfoots belonged to the monks. ORCHARDS AND
FISHING |
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South wall of Nave Divided into bays by triplets of wall shafts, of which the bases
only remain |
In this lovely fertile valley the monks
planted orchards, parts of which remained until the 1960s, and tilled the
soil. To the chanting of hymns they
cast their nets in the sluggish waters of the Forth, their hymns interrupted
now and again to indulge in a little argument with the fishermen from
Stirling about fishing rights. In the
reign of David 2nd. a claim for damages to cruives and fishings was made
against burgesses. In James11.’s time
a decree was made ordering the community to cease occupying the fishings
belonging to the abbots of Cambuskenneth.
A compromise on this matter was reached in 1501, but six years later
there was a further outbreak of trouble, and on this occasion the Lords gave
a decision in favour of the abbots against the bailies and others for
despoiling the nets. It is not
suprising that during the 14th century Wars of Independence, the Abbey, on its
strategic site in the key waistline of Scotland got involved. When William Wallace won his sweeping
victory at Stirling Bridge in 1297, the monks are bound to have watched the
movements of both armies. |
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Refectory The main dining hall. Half way down the left wall was the Lavatorium, with running
water and a place for towels |
STRATEGIC
POSITION OF STIRLING Stirling stands at the gateway to the Scottish
Highlands, the first fordable or bridgeable crossing point of the River Forth
from Edinburgh. In the middle ages it
was a centre of commerce as boats came up to the burgh bringing wine, timber,
cloth, and lace; taking away hides, wool and kippered salmon, the latter
being the town’s most important source of income. Barrels were shipped to France, The Netherlands and England. Cambuskenneth Abbey was known throughout
Europe. Many of the abbots were
renowned scholars, and from the beginning of the 15th century the abbots were
often employed in important State duties.
The abbot was one of the commissioners appointed to negotiate the
liberation of James 1 from his long captivity in England. The Abbot Henry was appointed High
Treasurer of the kingdom in 1493; the
abbot Patrick Panther, one of the most accomplished scholars of his age, was
secretary to James IV., a Privy Councillor, and afterwards Ambassador to the
French Court. Many later abbots held
high office in the affairs of state in Scotland. |
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The Chapter House The main meeting room where business was discussed and sins
confessed. It took its name from a daily reading of a chapter of the Monastic
Rule |
THE FIRST
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTS Many important episodes in the history of
Scotland were enacted within the walls of the abbey. Sir Neil Campbell, Sir Gilbert Hay, and
other barons met in the abbey and entered into a contract to defend the title
of Robert Bruce to the Scottish throne.
Here in 1326 the barons and clergy, together with representatives from
the cities and burghs, met in the first democratic Scottish Parliament, and
swore fealty to David Bruce as heir-apparent to the throne. So frequently did the the Scottish
Parliament meet here that one of the buildings was called Parliament
Hall. The wealth of
the abbey attracted the cupidity of the English armies that successively
invaded Scotland in the wars of Independence. In the troubled reign of David
11. and Robert 11. it was wrecked and pillaged. In the reign of David Bruce the belfry was struck with
lightening and set on fire. The
building was afterwards extensively renovated, and the revenues increased by
the abbot. |
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Mar’s Wark |
THE
REFORMATION The storm clouds of the Reformation were
piling up against the church. The
Black Death which had swept over Europe was taking a heavy toll in
Scotland. The economic structure of
the Middle Ages was destroyed. It was
a time of depression, and envious eyes were cast by the nobles on the well
tilled lands of the church. The storm
burst, and the nobles swooped down on the lands they had coveted for so
long. The Erskine family secured the
revenues of the Abbey after a limited portion had been deducted by the Privy
Council for the reformed clergy. In
1562, Queen Mary granted Adam Erskine the Abbey. The Abbey was of no use to him, but he required a mansion house
in Stirling, and here were stones ready hewn. He had the Abbey demolished and the stones used to build his
house, now known as Mar’s Wark, adjacent Stirling’s Holy Rude Church which
also contains Abbey stone. Cowane’s
Hospital, an almhouse built in 1637 also contains Cambuskenneth stones. |
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Church of the Holy Rude |
Of course, John Knox and his army are accused
of the destruction of the Abbey, but there is no truth in the
accusation. Knox protested against
Mar’s vandalism and we know what deep resentment was created among the people
of Stirling. Several accounts say
that in 1559 resentful crowds wrecked the Abbey, and subsequently the walls
were pulled down. THE LASTING
REMAINS OF THE ABBEY All that now remains of the abbey is the
beautiful arch of the west doorway of the church, and the graceful bell
tower. The doorway was the main
entrance to the nave, but now leads into a graveyard. The abbey after time became a source of
building stone for people of the surrounding district, and many of the older
houses near Cambuskenneth were built with stones taken from it. A stone about a foot square, said to have
been the keystone of the great entrance arch, was found at Alloa and is now |
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The ferry used until 1934 |
preserved in the ruin of Menstry house. Intricately carved letters on the stone
form the name Cambuskenneth, and all the letters of the Roman alphabet can be
read on close examination. Around
1860 the alms box of the Abbey and the keys were found among the ruins. The box is of iron and made in the ornate
Gothic manner. A small piece of
bronze plate probably from the coffin of James111. is now in Stirling’s Smith
Museum and Gallery. There was in the tower until the 1990s the
hulk of a boat which was found in the forth and is said to have been used by
the monks. The boat was hollowed out
by fire, and is therefore probably much older than the Abbey itself. The monks did not make boats in this crude
manner. The Cambuskenneth ferry used
until the footbridge was built in 1935, was not the one the monks used. Their ferry was a little further down
river. |
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Abbey Infirmary or later Dovecott?
Tomb of James 111 and Queen Margaret |
A corner of a ruined building known as the
Abbey dovecott is to be found east of the bell tower, outwith the present
outline of the Abbey. There are
several low walls outlining an original group of buildings, possibly the
monk’s infirmary but also possibly store houses, leading down to the river
which is fordable at this point at low tide.
These buildings may have been built later by a farmer with stones from
the Abbey when it was in decay. THE GRAVE OF
JAMES 111 In 1709 Stirling Town Council, as Patrons of
Cowane’s Hospital, bought the lands of Cambuskenneth from the Alva branch of
the Erskines. 1864 the Council spent about £1000 in pointing and repairing
the tower, and laying out the grounds.
During these excavations the foundations of the naïve, transept,
chancel and chapter house were laid
bare. Also they discovered the burial
place of King James 111. and his Queen, Margaret of Denmark. In the middle Ages it was considered
desirable to be buried within the church precincts and the monks accepted
endowments to that end. James 111. gave revenues of a whole parish in return
for the burial of his Queen. Queen
Margaret died at Stirling and was buried near the high altar in 1487; in June
1488, King James was assassinated at Whins of Milton when fleeing from the
battlefield of Sauchieburn and he was interred beside his Queen, in an oaken
coffin beneath a large block of limestone.
Queen Victoria paid a visit to Cambuskenneth and commanded a finely
designed monument be erected over the re-interred remains. |
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Abbey West Door, now leads to cemetary |
THE ABBEY
TODAY The Abbey is now maintained by Historic
Scotland who have placed indicators to show the parts of the abbey walls, and
who cut the grass and keep this historic monument tidy. The church measures 180 ft by 37ft, and was
cruciform. The remaining foundations
trace the pupitum, each of the transepts, the sacristy, the infirmary, the chapterhouse, the
refectory, the cloister walk and much else.
A lavatorium, with running fresh water and cupboards stood near the
refectory doorway |
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The King who lost his throne On 11 June 1488, two armies fought beside the
Sauchie Burn. On one side was King James 3 and his Royalist army; on the other his son,
Prince James and the rebels. It was
civil war. The King left the field before the fighting
started. He scuttled away on his
horse without escort and soon he fell into the hands of vile persons and was
slain. His son took the throne as
King James IV. The body of the king
was brought to Cambuskenneth Abbey and buried beside his Queen. |
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Personal reign James III was only one of two Scottish kings to
forfeit their throne in the later Middle Ages. His idea of kingship was the ruthless exercise of power. He almost met his end during the crisis of
1482, when he was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, and an attempt was made to
force him to abdicate in favour of his 9 year old son. On that occasion he regained his freedom
and his power, six years later he was not so lucky. |
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