Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey is a Scottish abbey, which was built in the 12th century by monks of a congregation from today's Thiron-Gardais near Chartres in France , who moved from the nearby Selkirk Abbey . The religious built the monastery on a piece of land given to them by David I of Scotland . Construction began in 1128 and was completed fifteen years later ( 1143 ) and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. John .
Kelso Abbey quickly became one of the wealthiest and most important abbeys in Scotland, the wealth of which resulted primarily from the vast land holdings in the region of what is now the Scottish Borders . The Douglas family were among the abbey's earliest tenants . In the Middle Ages, the monastery housed a first-class library. The importance of the abbey became clear when King James III in 1460 . of Scotland held its coronation ceremony at this location. In addition, in the 12th and 13th centuries, the abbey's abbots were granted the right to wear a miter, which made them higher than any other Scottish abbot. However, since the abbey was located near the Anglo-Scottish border, it was often damaged in the numerous armed conflicts between these countries. It was damaged in the Anglo-Scottish Wars at the beginning of the 14th century, but later repaired by the monks.
Kelso Abbey was badly damaged in the conflict over Mary Queen of Scots between 1544 and 1547 . Several South Scottish abbeys were destroyed during this period, such as B. those in Melrose , Dryburgh and Jedburgh . Since the Reformation reached southern Scotland in 1560 , Kelso Abbey had no chance of being rebuilt. After further attacks and damage, the monastery was officially abandoned in 1587 .
After the end of the Reformation, the abbey was partially used as a parish church between 1647 and 1771, while other parts of the monastery were used as a quarry for the local population. In 1805, large parts of the ruins were removed, so that today only the west tower and the transept are preserved.
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Coordinates: 55 ° 35 ′ 50 " N , 2 ° 25 ′ 59" W.