The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain & Ireland
Glasgow (medieval)
River bank walling
There was a Romanesque church at Hassendean dedicated to St Kentigern, the vestiges of which were drawn by Archibald Rutherford in 1776. The church was suppressed in 1690 and part of the church pulled down following this. Rutherford’s drawing showed it as primarily Romanesque in construction, with two chancel arches. These ruins, along with the churchyard were, however, destroyed by a major flood in 1796. The site of the church is thought now to be about the middle of the river or near the opposite bank. Built into the river bank wall are stones believed to have been reused from the church.
Site of former monastery
Located about 2 miles from present-day Melrose, the medieval site of Old Melrose is a raised peninsula on a bend of the River Tweed. No medieval buildings survive on the site. After the Reformation, the lands of Old Melrose appear to have been granted to Robert Ormestoun, who built a house on it. A later house, called Old Melrose House, has been built in the area of Chapel Knoll with a walled garden next to it. There is also a 19thc summer house, which was built at the tip of the peninsula.
Stone storage
The carved monstrous head, which most likely forms a corbel, is recorded as having been found on the site of the old monastery at Old Melrose. It is carved from a reddish sandstone and is broken at the back. The piece is currently housed in a stone storage site at Melrose for Historic Scotland. No medieval buildings now survive at the site at Old Melrose.
Graveyard and site of former church
The parish of Lempitlaw, which was at one time a separate parish, was joined with that of Sprouston at an unknown date. The church is now gone, though indents in the ground within the graveyard show its original location. The last vestiges of the church appear to have disappeared by 1845, but it is recorded that shortly before this some ruins were still to be seen. At that time, the parish of Spouston was the property of the Duke of Roxburgh, but the barony of Lempitlaw was the property of the Duke of Buccleuch. A coped, tegulated grave cover survives in the churchyard near the site of the church.
Graveyard and site of former church
The site of the medieval church is to be found within the grounds of Minto House, which was built for Gllbert Elliot, Lord Minto, c. 1738-43. Repairs of the church at Minto were carried out at various times after the Reformation, with extensive work being undertaken in 1767. At that time, there seems to have been part of a pointed arch surviving. The old parish church at Minto was taken down in 1831, when the parish church moved to a new site. The old site, organised into a small walled cemetary, was incorporated into gardens for Minto house. in 1893, James Robson recorded that a number of carved stones were arranged along the lines of the foundations of the church. By 1983-4, however, the stones left on the site had become overgrown. A team then carried out substantial clearance along with some excavations, and certain records and photographs were made. No stones from a pointed arch were recovered, but a number of grave covers and medieval carved stones were found. Some of the carved stones from the old site have been deposited inside the tower of the present church (see Ruberslaw Church) and others remain on site. Minto House, itself, was demolished in 1992-3.