St Andrews Cathedral

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View over the grounds from the tower of St Rule's Church

The St Andrews Cathedral , the ruins of a cathedral in the Scottish town of St Andrews in the Council Area Fife . The facility in St Andrews' historic center, near the North Sea shore near St Andrews Castle , was central to the development of the city and its status as the Christian center of Scotland. Numerous buildings are individually listed and the entire complex is classified as a Scheduled Monument . It is one of the Guardianship Monuments of Historic Scotland .

history

Christian use of the site has been documented since the 8th century at the latest. During this time, the bones of the apostle Andrew are said to have been brought here. Around the year 1070, the nucleus of today's St Rule's Church for the Augustinian Canons , who founded the adjacent St Andrews Priory , arose there .

In order to provide space for the growing stream of pilgrims to Andrew 's Shrine , Arnald , the then Bishop of St Andrews , initiated the construction of St Andrews Cathedral in 1160 to relieve St Rule's Church. The construction should take over 150 years. In 1238 the choir was completed as the first construction phase. In 1272 a storm damaged the west facade under construction, which is why construction was further delayed. The nave , completed in 1279, was made two axes shorter than initially planned. Even so, St Andrews Cathedral was the largest and longest church building in Scottish history and one of the longest in the United Kingdom . The cathedral was consecrated in 1318 in the presence of the Scottish King Robert the Bruce .

Protestants severely damaged St Andrews Cathedral during the Scottish Reformation . In 1561 the site was abandoned and the buildings fell into disrepair.

St Rule's Church

Ruins of St Rule's Church

St Rule's Church, presumably built around 1070 and expanded between 1130 and 1140, is located in the middle of the cemetery directly west of the cathedral. It is named after the holy monk Regulus . Its 33 m high tower, which is a landmark, is striking. Its square floor plan has a side length of 4.4 m. In the meantime it had collapsed, but was rebuilt. He originally concluded with a pointed helmet. During the 16th century, the parapet and a new helmet were built. The helmet was not restored. The roof of the simple hall church has not been preserved. Another arch led to the Andrew's Shrine, which was moved to St Andrews Cathedral after its completion. At that time, the Scottish State Church established its headquarters in St Rule's Church.

Enclosure

The Pend

A quarry stone wall encloses the entire facility , which takes up around twelve hectares . It was probably built in the 14th century, but it could also be older. It was increased in the early 16th century. In 1683, 16 towers protected the site, today only 13 are preserved. Three of the towers have an elongated floor plan. As a result of road relocation, one of the towers was relocated in 1971.

Three gates led to the area. The main entrance was The Pend , built in the 14th century . The gatehouse , which is essentially made of stone blocks with pointed arches , once had vaulted ceilings . Today a road runs through the ruins.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Information in the Gazetteer for Scotland
  2. ↑ Scheduled Monument - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  3. ↑ a b Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  4. ^ Information from Historic Environment
  5. ↑ a b Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  6. ↑ a b c d Information from Historic Environment
  7. ^ Information in the Gazetteer for Scotland
  8. ↑ Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  9. ↑ Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .

Web links

Commons : St Andrews Cathedral  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 56 ° 20'24.1 "  N , 2 ° 47'15"  W.