I stepped out of the Abbey into Mother`s Nature bridal veil of thick fog, that was covering the cemetery and it`s old tombs. The crows that were cooing loudly in the distance and the flutter of their wings when landing on the Celtic cross near me, watching my every move with their inquisitive eyes made the whole experience like a short scene out of a Halloween movie. The temperature dropped giving my cheeks a natural blush and turning the tip of my nose into an icicle. The wind started to pick up, moving the empty trees into a captivating dance. I could feel I`m not alone ...
The ruins of Dunfermline Palace, what once was a two story building, was standing in front of me with it`s sharp edges and bits of rock exposed, similar to the nude of a very beautiful woman, that reached her maturity, which despite the rough elements she was exposed to, she kept her unique glamour. Beauty is not always perfect lines and symmetry. It`s wet surfaces of different shades of brown, grey and black and the green moss that was covering it in most places, was blending in perfectly with the surroundings. I could say that the surrounding environment embraced the building or was it the ruins that embraced the surroundings. Or maybe they just learned to coexist and embrace each other. It looked like a perfect fusion between the two. It wasn`t just the palace that became part of the landscape but also the landscape became part of the palace.
Dunfermline in 1540, drawn by Jurek
Alexander Putter, board found
at the main entrance of Pittencrieff Park
Looking at the Abbey and the Palace today, it looks like separate dwellings but back in the day, the buildings were all connected and it was part of one of the biggest monastic complex at the time and it all started with a small Celtic Priory and presumably the 13 Celtic monks, also known as Culdees. A monastic order that was send from Ireland to spread Christianity in Scotland. The settlement continued to be a Celtic Priory until 1070`s when Queen Margaret turned it into a Benedictine Priory.
As masonry was used in construction at a later date the original buildings,dating back to 6th and 7th century were timber built with thatch turf or shingle roofs and of a form known for those centuries as Yeavering, which was quite common in Scotland.
The earliest description of the complex dates back to 1723 by Mackie : " The Palace consists of 2 courts, the Upper and the Lower was a Muse as large as that at London. for stables, horses and hounds, and the officers belonging to them; the Upper Court makes the Palace, the Royal Apartments are to the South and the West, Queen Anne`s Jointure - House to the North, and the Church and the remnants of the ancient Monastery to the East " . The service elements were detached for the more prestigious residential and governmental areas.
Even if just a few walls survived the passing of time and the 2 fires that were set here with the intention of destroying it completely, with a bit of imagination you can get a feel of what a magnificent building this used to be.
Now, we`ll enter the palace using the first set of stairs from the main gate through a wooden door and we`ll go down to the royal kitchen. Set on the ground floor and it projects upon 2 arches, overlooking the glen and it has a length of 205 feet and a height of 59 feet, with the Cellars attached to it for easy access. It was strategically placed at the palace`s Easter end, adjourning the abbey`s Gate House, extending to the kitchen`s northwest. The enormous fireplace which would have been the central focus of the kitchen is still very visible today and it was used for boiling and roasting on an open fire. There are also some speculations that the first floor of the kitchen could`ve been a bake house or a brew house with the kitchen proper on the largely missing upper level. The kitchens at Dunfermline are built on a grander scale than most monastic kitchens in Scotland.
The ground plan of the Gate House and the kitchen suggests that the Gate House was laid first with the kitchen build up against it`s East gable. Excavations carried out in 1975 indicates that what is now the Gate House does not represent the original design and there`s no evidence of how the original building used to look like. The lower level of the palace can also be accessed directly from Monastery Street. Another passage found on the side of the building and communicates directly with the Gate House, the most direct route to the refectory above, situated on the other side of the Gate House.
The room situated inside the Gate House is still intact now and opened to the public so please take a look when you`re visiting as it offers a lot of interesting information about the Palace
Just like me, many of you might wonder what a Refectory is? The Refectory was a room used for communal meals in an educational or religious institution. The one at the Palace seemed to be quite spacious, with a very high ceiling and big arched windows on one side. I could already imagine the big wooden table in the middle of the refectory, candles hanging on each side of the walls and maybe a few above a table in what we would call today a chandelier but back than just a giant candle holder.
The Hall, built in two main phases, with the first half built probably in the late 13th century and it was built with it`s vaulted under croft, which was altered and heightened around late 1530`s or early 1540`s. These chamber provided a great meeting place and perfect for ceremonies. Faced externally on both levels, lit on the south side by a series of 5 arched windows which were really wide considering their height.
While at the Library, going through everything I could find about the Palace, I came across a description which gives us such a great insight in how all these chambers were used and the etiquette back than: "300 people were seated around in order, and when the King and Queen had entered, the servants closed the door. The King taking one side, the Queen taking the other".
The Royal lodgings were a block of several buildings which were constantly remodeled until it`s finale form in the late 16th and early 17th century. Presumably, because of the layout of some of these buildings, we assume that the King and the Queen had separate chambers. Unfortunately, I couldn`t find much information about it.
Considering the scale of this settlement, would also be expected to find here a infirmary, a residence for the abbot which might explain the external building of Abbot House, which we will have a proper look into it in a next post, stables, vegetable gardens, a barn, perhaps tanning pits and mills.
Until next time when I`ll come with more interesting facts about Dunfermline and how my last day was while visiting this magical place , this little explorer is wishing everyone a sunny and warm Spring, filled with light and positive vibes. Enjoy the rebirth that comes with this season.