St Clement's Church (toboggan)

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St Clement's Church
Sheela_na_Gig
inner space
Alasdair Crotach's grave

The St Clement's Church , also Tur Chliamainn , is a church building on the Scottish Hebridean island of Harris . In 1971 the building was included in the Scottish Monuments List in the highest category A. The structure is also protected as a Scheduled Monument . It is considered the most important pre-Reformation church building in the Outer Hebrides. It has the best collection of late medieval carvings in the Outer Hebrides. They range from architectural details such as the fascinating Sheela-na gigs to the headstones and graves, especially the exquisite grave of the church's founder, Alexander Macleod von Harris and Dunvegan.

history

It is assumed that the oldest parts of the church come from a previous building from the 13th century, which was partially integrated into the construction. Alasdair Crotach MacLeod , the eighth chief of the MacLeod clan, is considered to be the founder of the Clement Church . Alasdair MacLeod decided to spend the last years of his life on Harris and had a church built, which should also be his tomb. He broke with a clan tradition after all predecessors were buried on the island of Iona . His tomb was completed in 1528 (MacLeod did not die until 1547, however) and the first phase of construction was likely completed around that time. The building was the Pope Clement I consecrated. After the Reformation the church was abandoned. In 1705 the building was described as a ruin, but Alexander MacLeod had it restored twice in the 1780s, a fire destroyed the progress of the first restoration and expanded. In 1841 the church was again described as ruinous and in 1873 it was repaired again. St Clement's Church was last revised in 1913.

description

St Clement's Church is on the southern tip of Harris in the village of Rodel at the end of the A859 . It consists of a nave with a transept. A four-story bell tower rises at the west end. The masonry consists of quarry stone from local gneiss , the decorative bands of greenish sandstone and the ornaments of mica slate . Architecturally, the building has the characteristics of the late Gothic . In addition to various pointed arch and lancet windows, there is also a rose window on the east side . The nave and transept are finished with slate-covered gable roofs , while the crenellated bell tower has a pyramid roof . The slate used has a reddish color.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  2. ↑ Scheduled Monument - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  3. ↑ a b c d Entry on St Clement's Church  in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)

Web links

Commons : St Clement's Church  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 57 ° 44 ′ 27.1 "  N , 6 ° 57 ′ 47"  W.