Culross Abbey
Encyclopedia
Culross Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey
in Culross
, Scotland
, headed by the Abbot or Commendator of Culross
. It is still used as the local parish church by the Church of Scotland
.
, Mormaer or Earl of Fife
, and was first colonised by monk
s from Kinloss Abbey
. Culross may have been chosen to establish an abbey because this was the birth place of Saint Mungo
. It is evident that the abbey was built over the earlier Pictish
church supposedly founded by Saint Serf
in the 6th century, as witnessed by the presence in the ruined Cistercian church of early medieval carved stones and from a ninth-century reference to a church of St Serf at Culross (Cuileann Ros) in a Gaelic list of the mothers of various saints.
The original 13th century abbey was cruciform
in plan, without aisles. By the late 15th century the lay brother
s had left, and the abbey community consisted of only choir-monks. The western half of the abbey was therefore abandoned, and the nave
was demolished around 1500. In 1633 the east choir of the abbey was taken over for use as a parish church
, while the adjoining buildings fell into decay.
In 1642 the north transept
was converted into a tomb
house by Sir George Bruce, Laird of Carnock. Alabaster
carved effigies of him, his wife, and eight children can still be viewed there today. The abbey was restored in 1823, although many original features were removed, including the transept chapels. Another restoration took place in 1905, which reinstated the chapels and left the buildings much as they can be seen today. The eastern parts of the church are still in use for worship
, and are generally open to the public.
A Ley tunnel
is believed to exist beneath the abbey and within is said to sit a man in a golden chair waiting to give valuable treasures to anyone who succeeds in finding him. Many years ago a blind piper decided to try and upon entering at Newgate with his dog he proceeded to search and could be heard playing his pipes as far as the West Kirk, three quarters of a mile away. Eventually the dog emereged into the daylight, however the piper was never seen, or heard of, again.
. The remaining intact part of the Abbey is used by the Church of Scotland as the local parish church; the current minister (since 2009) is the Reverend Jayne Scott.
The Abbey has played host to a number of cultural events, including an inaugural concert by Fife Opera
.
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
in Culross
Culross
The town of Culross, pronounced "Coo-ros", is a former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland.According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, headed by the Abbot or Commendator of Culross
Abbot of Culross
The Abbot and then Commendator of Culross was the head of the monastic community of Culross Abbey, Fife, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1218 on the patronage of Maol Choluim I, Earl of Fife by Cistercian monks from Kinloss Abbey, Moray. Control of the abbey was secularized in the 16th century...
. It is still used as the local parish church by the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
.
History
The abbey was founded in 1217 by Malcolm IMaol Choluim I, Earl of Fife
Mormaer Máel Coluim of Fife , or Maol Choluim anglicised as Malcolm, was one of the more obscure mormaers of Fife.He married Matilda, the daughter of Gille Brigte, the mormaer of Strathearn. He is credited with the foundation of Culross Abbey...
, Mormaer or Earl of Fife
Earl of Fife
The Earl of Fife or Mormaer of Fife referred to the Gaelic comital lordship of Fife which existed in Scotland until the early 15th century....
, and was first colonised by monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s from Kinloss Abbey
Kinloss Abbey
Kinloss Abbey is a Cistercian abbey approximately 3 miles east of Forres in the county of Moray, Scotland.The abbey was founded in 1150 by King David I and was first colonised by monks from Melrose Abbey. It received its Papal Bull from Pope Alexander III in 1174, and later came under the...
. Culross may have been chosen to establish an abbey because this was the birth place of Saint Mungo
Saint Mungo
Saint Mungo is the commonly used name for Saint Kentigern . He was the late 6th century apostle of the Brythonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in modern Scotland, and patron saint and founder of the city of Glasgow.-Name:In Wales and England, this saint is known by his birth and baptismal name Kentigern...
. It is evident that the abbey was built over the earlier Pictish
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
church supposedly founded by Saint Serf
Saint Serf
Saint Serf or Serbán is a saint of Scotland. Serf was venerated in western Fife. He is also called the apostle of Orkney, with less historical plausibility. Saint Serf is also somehow connected with Saint Mungo's Church near Simonburn, Northumberland...
in the 6th century, as witnessed by the presence in the ruined Cistercian church of early medieval carved stones and from a ninth-century reference to a church of St Serf at Culross (Cuileann Ros) in a Gaelic list of the mothers of various saints.
The original 13th century abbey was cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
in plan, without aisles. By the late 15th century the lay brother
Lay brother
In the most common usage, lay brothers are those members of Catholic religious orders, particularly of monastic orders, occupied primarily with manual labour and with the secular affairs of a monastery or friary, in contrast to the choir monks of the same monastery who are devoted mainly to the...
s had left, and the abbey community consisted of only choir-monks. The western half of the abbey was therefore abandoned, and the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was demolished around 1500. In 1633 the east choir of the abbey was taken over for use as a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, while the adjoining buildings fell into decay.
In 1642 the north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
was converted into a tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
house by Sir George Bruce, Laird of Carnock. Alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
carved effigies of him, his wife, and eight children can still be viewed there today. The abbey was restored in 1823, although many original features were removed, including the transept chapels. Another restoration took place in 1905, which reinstated the chapels and left the buildings much as they can be seen today. The eastern parts of the church are still in use for worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
, and are generally open to the public.
A Ley tunnel
Ley tunnel
Ley tunnels are a common element of the local folklore tradition in the United Kingdom and they also occur in Europe. In Norwegian a ley tunnel-like passage is called a "lønngang" and in Swedish a "lönngång"...
is believed to exist beneath the abbey and within is said to sit a man in a golden chair waiting to give valuable treasures to anyone who succeeds in finding him. Many years ago a blind piper decided to try and upon entering at Newgate with his dog he proceeded to search and could be heard playing his pipes as far as the West Kirk, three quarters of a mile away. Eventually the dog emereged into the daylight, however the piper was never seen, or heard of, again.
Current use
The remaining ruins of the abbey are now in the care of Historic ScotlandHistoric Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
. The remaining intact part of the Abbey is used by the Church of Scotland as the local parish church; the current minister (since 2009) is the Reverend Jayne Scott.
The Abbey has played host to a number of cultural events, including an inaugural concert by Fife Opera
Fife Opera
Fife Opera is a semi-professional grand opera company dating back to 1975, and based in Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom. It has produced over 40 full-scale productions since its inception....
.