| Arbroath Abbey | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Arbroath Abbey | |
| 56°33′45″N2°34′56″W / 56.5625°N 2.582222°W /56.5625; -2.582222 | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1178 |
| Founder | King William the Lion |
Listed Building – Category B | |
| Official name | Arbroath Abbey |
| Designated | 10 October 1971 |
| Reference no. | LB21135 |
| Official name | Arbroath Abbey and associated buildings |
| Type | Ecclesiastical: abbey |
| Designated | 31 December 1921 |
| Reference no. | SM90018 |
Arbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town ofArbroath, was founded in 1178 byKing William the Lion for a group ofTironensianBenedictine monks fromKelso Abbey. It wasconsecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceasedSaint Thomas Becket, whom the king had met at theEnglish court.[1] It was William's only personal foundation — he was buried before the high altar of the church in 1214.[2]
The last Abbot wasCardinalDavid Beaton, who in 1522 succeeded his uncle James to become Archbishop ofSt Andrews. The Abbey is cared for byHistoric Environment Scotland and is open to the public throughout the year (entrance charge). The distinctive redsandstone ruins stand at the top of the High Street in Arbroath.
King William gave the Abbey independence from its founding abbey,Kelso Abbey, and endowed it generously, including income from 24 parishes, land in every royal burgh and more. The Abbey's monks were allowed to run a market and build a harbour. KingJohn of England gave the Abbey permission to buy and sell goods anywhere inEngland (except London) toll-free.[1]
The Abbey, which was the richest inScotland, is most famous for its association with the 1320Declaration of Scottish Independence believed to have been drafted by AbbotBernard, who was the Chancellor of Scotland under KingRobert I.
The Abbey fell into ruin after theReformation. From 1590 onward, its stones were raided for buildings in the town ofArbroath. This continued until 1815 when steps were taken to preserve the remaining ruins.
OnChristmas Day 1950, theStone of Destiny went missing fromWestminster Abbey. On 11 April 1951 the stone was found lying on the site of the Abbey's altar.
Since 1947, a major historical re-enactment commemorating the Declaration's signing has been held within the roofless remains of the Abbey church. The celebration is run by the local Arbroath Abbey Pageant Society, and tells the story of the events which led up to the signing. This is not an annual event. However, a special event to mark the signing is held every year on the 6th of April and involves a street procession and short piece of street theatre.
In 2005 The Arbroath Abbey campaign was launched.[3] The campaign seeks to gain World Heritage Status for the iconic Angus landmark that was the birthplace of one of Scotland's most significant document, The Declaration of Arbroath.[4] Campaigners believe that the Abbey's historical pronouncement makes it a prime candidate to achieve World Heritage Status. MSP Alex Johnstone wrote "Clearly, the Declaration of Arbroath is a literary work of outstanding universal significance by any stretch of the imagination"[5] In 2008, the Campaign Group Chairman, Councillor Jim Millar launched a public petition to reinforce the bid explaining "We're simply asking people to, local people especially, to sign up to the campaign to have the Declaration of Arbroath and Arbroath Abbey recognised by the United Nations. Essentially we need local people to sign up to this campaign simply because the United Nations demand it."[6]
The Abbey was built over some sixty years using local red sandstone, but gives the impression of a single coherent, mainly 'Early English' architectural design, though the round-arched processional doorway in the western front looks back to lateNorman or transitional work. Thetriforium (open arcade) above the door is unique in Scottish medieval architecture. It is flanked by twin towers decorated with blind arcading. Thecruciform church measured 276 feet (84 m) long by 160 feet (49 m) wide.[1] What remains of it today are thesacristy, added by Abbot Paniter in the 15th century, the southerntransept, which features Scotland's largestlancet windows, part of thechoir andpresbytery, the southern half of thenave, parts of the western towers and the western doorway.The church originally had a central tower and (probably) a spire. These would once have been visible from many miles over the surrounding countryside, and no doubt once acted as a sea mark for ships. The soft sandstone of the walls was originally protected by plaster internally and render externally. These coatings are long gone and much of the architectural detail is sadly eroded, though detached fragments found in the ruins during consolidation give an impression of the original refined, rather austere, architectural effect.
The distinctive round window high in the south transept was originally lit up at night as abeacon for mariners. It is known locally as the 'Round O', and from this tradition inhabitants ofArbroath are colloquially known as 'Reid Lichties' (Scots reid = red).
Little remains of the claustral buildings of the Abbey except for the impressive gatehouse, which stretches between the south-west corner of the church and a defensive tower on the High Street, and the still complete Abbot's House, a building of the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries, which is the best preserved of its type inScotland.
In the summer of 2001, a new visitors' centre was opened to the public beside the Abbey's west front. This red sandstone-clad building, with its distinctive 'wave-shaped' organic roof, planted with sedum, houses displays on the history of the Abbey and some of the best surviving stonework and other relics. The upper storey features a scale model of the Abbey complex, a computer-generated 'fly-through' reconstruction of the church as it was when complete, and a viewing gallery with excellent views of the ruins. The centre won the 2002 Angus Design Award. An archaeological investigation of the site of the visitors' centre before building started revealed the foundations of the medieval precinct wall, with a gateway, and stonework discarded during manufacture, showing that the area was the site of the masons' yard while the Abbey was being built.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Arbroath".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 339.| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
