DUNFERMLINE ABBEY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 104, 5 November 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

DUNFERMLINE ABBEY.

AN INTERESTING DISCOVERY.

A discovery of considerable interest to eceles ; ologists and antiquarians has. i)een made in the Abbey Churchyard at Dunfermline. For the protection of the bu'lding from fire, the heritors of the Abbey deemed it advisable to put in a hydrant opposite the north trail sept, corresponding with that near th» 60uth transept. For that purpose it was necessary to lay a stretch of pipe to connect with the main water supply. That pipe has been laid along the line of a footpath running parallel with the church and a little to the north of St. Margaret's Shrine and the Hunt and other private burial enclosures. On its course the pipe passes on the south side of the monumental tombstone to Ralph Erskine, the famous Seceder- and founder of Queeii Anne Street Church. While the trenc'i. vas being dug tha workmen discovered the foundations of an old wall, apparently about 2ft. in depth and of at least equal thiekne*?. Thai vail it* faced with hewn stones. So far as it has been laid bare it is about 50ft. m length. Obviously hewn work is not intended for burial, and a reasoaabl* inference seems to be that the ground haa been made up since the wall was built. It seems certain that this wad formed no part of the original church, while the character of the lreeston* and the nature of the work generally indicate no connection with the ne\# church, which adjoin'. Embedded in the wall wore founoT a number of quaintly cut stones. It is. plainly evident that these stones were not hewn for the purpose they were serving. Eleven of thsm have wen preserved. Four of t!i<rv2 have crossescarved on one end. These crosses are s milar in design to the Red Cross, only with a little more elaboration at tne> four points. Two larger have had nice-ly-cut zigzag ornamentations, such as is seen at many places on the inneii walls of the nave (or old church), and which has the finest complication m the recently discovered Norman doorway A seventh stone wa* the segment of a pi'lar another was part of an arch, two were portions of pilars, one or these being part of " capital and tno (ther the baso of twin columns or shafts. The eleventh is of oblong snap*, and finely hewn. Whore the stom* wore bedded originally it is difficult to my btu thir character has great similarity to that of the masonry of th* ruins surrounding St. Margarets shrine lying a few yards to the south. It may'be that they have provide* decoration to an isolated structure-* little chapel or a mausoleum—connected with the Old Abbey. The wall itself may safely be attributed to posV Reformaton times, never of any great lio'ght or stability, and built otwhatever old stones c.-uus m--»st readily to band. , , A visit has been made to the spr.r hy (gentlemen distinguished in ecclesftoiogical research. While expressing great interest in the discovery, thesa gentlemen have not committed themselves to anv theoretical explanation c* the existence of the wall and the carved stones, probablv pending further intost'gation into the hi-tory of he 011 Abbey and a more detailed examination of the locus of the distoiery.