Kelso Abbey is a ruined
Scottish abbey in
Kelso,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. It was founded in the 12th century by a community of
Tironensian
The Tironensian Order or the Order of Tiron was a medieval monastic order named after the location of the mother abbey (Tiron Abbey, french: Abbaye de la Sainte-Trinité de Tiron, established in 1109) in the woods of Thiron-Gardais (sometimes ''Ti ...
monks first brought to
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
in the reign of
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the
Tweed
Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...
and
Teviot water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
s, the site of what was once the
Royal Burgh
A royal burgh () was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs.
Most royal burghs were either created by ...
of
Roxburgh
Roxburgh () is a civil parish and formerly a royal burgh, in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In the Middle Ages it had at leas ...
and the intended southern centre for the developing Scottish kingdom at that time. Kelso thus became the seat of a pre-eminently powerful
abbacy in the heart of the
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...
.
In the 14th century, Roxburgh became a focus for periodic attack and occupation by
English forces and Kelso's monastic community survived a number of fluctuations in control over the area, restoring the abbey infrastructure after episodes of destruction and ultimately retaining Scottish identity. From 1460 onwards, life for the abbey probably grew more settled, but came once again under attack in the early sixteenth century. By the mid-century, through a combination of turbulent events, the abbey effectively ceased to function and the building fell into ruin.
Although the site of Kelso Abbey has not been fully excavated in modern times, evidence suggests that it was a major building with two
crossings. The only remains standing today are the west tower crossing and part of the
infirmary
Infirmary may refer to:
*Historically, a hospital, especially a small hospital
*A first aid room in a school, prison, or other institution
*A dispensary (an office that dispenses medications)
*A clinic
A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambu ...
. The massive design and solid
romanesque style of the tower indicate a very large building of formidable, semi-military construction and appearance, evidence of the importance with which Roxburgh was regarded when the abbacy was at the height of its power.
Foundation
![Kelso Abbey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Kelso_Abbey.jpg)
Kelso Abbey was founded at Roxburgh in 1128 by a community of monks of the Tironesian order, from
Tiron, near
Chartres
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...
, in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. The community had first entered Scotland, c. 1113, under the patronage of
David I David I may refer to:
* David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399
* David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741)
* David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881)
* David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048)
* David I of Scotland (di ...
as
Prince of the Cumbrians
The list of the kings of Strathclyde concerns the kings of Alt Clut, later Strathclyde, a Brythonic kingdom in what is now western Scotland.
The kingdom was ruled from Dumbarton Rock, ''Alt Clut'', the Brythonic name of the rock, until around ...
during the reign of his brother, Alexander I, when the monks were given a commission to found their community at a site near
Selkirk. It is not known for certain why the community came to abandon this first site in 1128, although David, now
King of Scots
The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the sovereign state, state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thoug ...
, was developing Roxburgh as a major economic and administrative centre for Southern Scotland. Other institutions established by David at Roxburgh included the
royal mint
The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins.
Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by His Majesty's Treasury and is under an exclus ...
.
Construction of the abbey is believed to have commenced immediately, and by 1143 progress was sufficiently advanced for the building to be dedicated to
The Blessed Virgin and
Saint John. The King's son,
Henry, Earl of Northumbria
Henry of Scotland (''Eanric mac Dabíd'', 1114 – 12 June 1152) was heir apparent to the Kingdom of Alba. He was also the 3rd Earl of Northumbria and the 3rd Earl of Huntingdon. He was the son of King David I of Scotland and Queen Maud, 2nd Cou ...
, who predeceased his father, was
inter
Inter may refer to:
Association football clubs
* Inter Milan, an Italian club
* SC Internacional, a Brazilian club
* Inter Miami CF, an American club
* FC Inter Sibiu, a Romanian club
* FC Inter Turku, a Finnish club
* FK Inter Bratislava, a form ...
red in the abbey in 1152.
[''The buildings of Scotland: Borders'', Pevsner Architectural Guides .]
Development and defence
Kelso Abbey, which was situated in sight of
Roxburgh Castle
Roxburgh Castle is a ruined royal castle that overlooks the junction of the rivers Tweed and Teviot, in the Borders region of Scotland. The town and castle developed into the royal burgh of Roxburgh, which the Scots destroyed along with the ca ...
across the
Tweed
Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...
water, soon grew to be one of the wealthiest and grandest in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, with much of its income coming from its vast estates in the
Border country. John,
abbot of Kelso
The Abbot of Kelso (later Commendator of Kelso) was the head of the Tironensian monastic community at Kelso Abbey in the Scottish Borders. The Abbey was originally founded at Selkirk in 1113 by David, Prince of the Cumbrians (r. 1113–1124), and ...
from 1160 to 1180, was the first
abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
in Scotland to be granted the
mitre
The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...
.
After Scotland's royal dynasty began lose the overlordship of
Northumbria
la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum
, conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria
, common_name = Northumbria
, status = State
, status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
during the reign of
William I
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...
, David's southern "capital" came into close proximity to the border with
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and was subject to attack during the
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of ...
. In 1299, the abbot of Kelso was the English appointee, Thomas de Durham (1299–1307), but the abbey defended its Scottish identity. Throughout this turbulent period, Roxburgh Castle and
Berwick upon Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
, the major Scottish port serving the area, were frequently under English occupation. Whenever the abbey was subject to attack, the damage was repaired by the monks.
In 1460,
James II was killed within sight of the abbey as the result of a fatal accident during the campaign which secured repossession of Roxburgh castle that same year. Kelso Abbey was the venue for the hasty coronation of the infant king,
James III, which quickly followed.
During the period 1460 to 1513, political and military control in the area was more stable and life for the abbey was probably relatively settled. After 1517, however, it was again subject to English attacks.
Sixteenth-century destruction
![12thC Kelso bell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/12thC_Kelso_bell.jpg)
Kelso Abbey effectively ceased to function due to a combination of events in the mid-sixteenth century. First, in the 1540s, the building sustained major damage in attacks perpetrated under the orders of the English king,
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
, part of the so-called
Rough Wooing
The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following its break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the ...
, in which most of southern Scotland's abbeys, including those at
Melrose,
Dryburgh and
Jedburgh
Jedburgh (; gd, Deadard; sco, Jeddart or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the historic county of Roxburghshire, the name of which was randomly chosen for Operation Jedburgh in su ...
, were targeted for destruction by forces under the command of the
Earl of Hertford
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
. Plans to convert the Abbey into a
bastion fort
A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, literally meaning ''Italian outline'') is a fortification in a style that evolved during the early modern period of gunpowder when the cannon came to domin ...
were prepared by
Archangelo Arcano, an Italian military engineer working for Henry VIII.
This physical assault on the site was followed in 1560 by monastic
disestablishment under the
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
, from which time the Tironensian community at Kelso was no longer officially recognised. A small remaining contingent of monks may have continued at the site for a number of years following the 1560 dissolution, but after further attacks and damage the abbey was declared officially derelict in 1587.
Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell
Francis may refer to:
People
*Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome
*Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Francis (surname)
Places
*Rural Mu ...
had a house at the Abbey, and
James VI
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
visited in January 1591.
[''Calendar State Papers Scotland'', vol. 10 (Edinburgh, 1936), p. 453 no. 519.]
By the late 16th century the estates of the former monastery came under fully secular control and in 1607 they were finally granted as a secular lordship, titled
Holydean, to the last
commendator
In canon law, commendam (or ''in commendam'') was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice ''in trust'' to the ''custody'' of a patron. The phrase ''in commendam'' was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastica ...
of the abbey,
Robert Ker of Cesford.
Post-reformation usage
Between 1647 and 1771, part of the abbey ruins was occupied by a
parish kirk, with other parts of the structure being dismantled and used as a source of stone by locals for buildings in the town of Kelso. The post-reformation
kirk
Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.
Basic meaning and etymology
As a common noun, ''kirk' ...
appears to have been a compact vaulted structure intruded within the west
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
s in about 1748. This adapted structure included a vaulted
gaol
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correct ...
.
In 1805, huge parts of the
ruins
Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...
were cleared away, including the parish church and the gaol, leaving only the abbey's west tower and
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
remaining to this day. A more recent addition (1933) has been a memorial
cloister
A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...
to the
8th Duke of Roxburghe designed by
Reginald Fairlie in the original style of the cloisters when the abbey was first built.
Architectural notes
Little of the ground plan of this once large abbey exists, but the surviving ruin of the west tower, together with its
crossing, is impressive and shows a building that was strong and fortress like. Evidence from Vatican archives, dated 1517, indicates that the complete building had two crossings, west and east, each with single
towers
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Towers are specific ...
, a double-cruciform design that was relatively rare in Europe. The
high altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...
of the abbey would have been at the east tower crossing. Although the
east end
The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...
does not survive, it may have been in a rounded form if, as would be expected, the firm
Romanesque design of the extant western tower was consistent throughout the building.
The gable of the north transept of the west tower crossing (pictured right) presents the most intact surviving face. The earliest remains of the abbey are the two bays of the south
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
of the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
(partly visible at the far left of the picture). These have rounded arches dating from about 1128. Later additions above this are a
triforium
A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locate ...
from the late 12th Century, and above this
clerestory
In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.
Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
is a continuous arcade. There is no regular vertical pattern between three levels of arcading, a feature which is unique in Scotland or England.
The masonry above the clerestory suggests that there was no nave
vaulting
In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while rin ...
.
The south and west faces of the west tower still rise high to the level of the belfry openings and this structure is not earlier than the beginning of the 13th Century.
The west transepts and the west
vestibule also survive, though only the north
jamb
A jamb (from French ''jambe'', "leg"), in architecture, is the side-post or lining of a doorway or other aperture. The jambs of a window outside the frame are called “reveals.” Small shafts to doors and windows with caps and bases are known ...
survives of the west crossing's doorways.
In the 20th century, the "Roxburghe Aisle" was built onto the Abbey as the burial vault of the Dukes of Roxburghe.
Burials
* Prince
Henry of Scotland
Henry of Scotland (''Eanric mac Dabíd'', 1114 – 12 June 1152) was heir apparent to the Kingdom of Alba. He was also the 3rd Earl of Northumbria and the 3rd Earl of Huntingdon. He was the son of King David I of Scotland and Queen Maud, 2nd Cou ...
(1114–1152), Earl of Northumbria and Huntingdon
* Several of the
Dukes of Roxburghe and members of their family.
Access
The ruins are cared for by
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment ...
. There is no entrance charge.
Tourism
This Abbey is one of five abbeys and historic sites in southern Scotland which lie on the
Borders Abbeys Way
The Borders Abbeys Way is a long-distance footpath in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is a circular walkway and is in length. The theme of the footpath is the ruined Borders abbeys (established by David I of Scotland) along its way: ...
walk.
See also
*
Kelso
*
Abbot of Kelso
The Abbot of Kelso (later Commendator of Kelso) was the head of the Tironensian monastic community at Kelso Abbey in the Scottish Borders. The Abbey was originally founded at Selkirk in 1113 by David, Prince of the Cumbrians (r. 1113–1124), and ...
(for a list of abbots and commendators)
*
List of religious houses in Scotland
List of monastic houses in Scotland is a catalogue of the abbeys, priories, friaries and other monastic religious houses of Scotland.
In this article alien houses are included, as are smaller establishments such as cells and notable monastic ...
*
List of places in the Scottish Borders
''Map of places in the Scottish Borders compiled from this list'':See the list of places in Scotland for places in other counties.
This list of places in the Scottish Borders includes towns, villages, hamlets, castles, golf courses, historic hous ...
*
List of places in Scotland
This list of places in Scotland is a complete collection of lists of places in Scotland.
*List of burghs in Scotland
*List of census localities in Scotland
*List of islands of Scotland
**List of Shetland islands
**List of Orkney islands
**List o ...
*
Borders Abbeys Way
The Borders Abbeys Way is a long-distance footpath in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is a circular walkway and is in length. The theme of the footpath is the ruined Borders abbeys (established by David I of Scotland) along its way: ...
*
Kilwinning Abbey
Kilwinning Abbey is a ruined abbey located in the centre of the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire.
History
Establishment of the Abbey
Kilwinning was a Tironensian Benedictine monastic community, named after Tiron in the diocese of Chart ...
References
External links
*
* Online version of the Chartulary of Kelso Abbe
''Liber S. Marie de Calchou: registrum cartarum abbacie tironensis de Kelso, 1113-1567'' Bannatyne Club, 1846.
{{coord, 55, 35, 50, N, 2, 25, 59, W, region:GB-SCB_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1143
Christian monasteries established in the 12th century
1143 establishments in Scotland
Tironensian monasteries
Ruined abbeys in the Scottish Borders
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the Scottish Borders
Coronation church buildings
Historic Scotland properties in the Scottish Borders
Kelso, Scottish Borders