Tour Dryburgh Abbey
Map of this area

Majestic and evocative, the extensive ruins of Dryburgh Abbey stand in a splendid, secluded setting on a sheltered meander of the Tweed in the Scottish Borders. The mellow red tones of the Dryburgh stone amid the green swards of well tended grass and majestic old trees, make this one of the most attractive of the Border abbeys.

Founded in the 12C. Dryburgh Abbey was the first Scottish home of the Order of Premonstratensians and daughter house of Alnwick. Building began in 1150 and the abbey led a peaceful and prosperous existence with the monks tending the lands. The Wars of Independence and subsequent Border troubles resulted in destruction and fire damage on at least three occasions 1322,1385 and 1544: the latter also included the razing of the town of Dryburgh. The religious life of the abbey ended at the beginning of the 17C. It was then inhabited by the commendators or their descendants, which explains why the conventual buildings have been so well preserved.

Abbey Church

Little remains of the mainly 12C and 13C church, dedicated to St Mary. The west front, robbed of its facing, is pierced by a 15C round-arched and recessed doorway, devoid of capitals, and adorned by square, convention-alised leaf motifs. Inside, only the south wall of the six-bay nave with aisles remains.

Transepts

Like the east end. they are late 12C and early 13C and are in the First Pointed style, best seen in the north transept and its eastern chapels. The main arcade with pointed arches is surmounted by a compressed middle section with cusped circular lights opening onto the interior while the clerestory arcade, taller again, is one storey of triple lancets. The north transept and eastern chapel with moulded, ribbed vaulting and carved bosses are the resting places of Field Marshal Earl Haig and Sir Walter Scott. The south transept has the remains of a night stair leading to the first floor canons' dormitory and a door to the library and vestry. The great window in the upper part of the transept gable is partly blocked where the roof of the dormitory abutted.

Conventual buildings

They are among the best preserved groups in Scotland, and are laid out on the middle and lower levels, around the cloister, with two storeys on the east.

Cloister

The east range is the best preserved.

East Processional Doorway

This is an attractive example of late-12C work, still round-headed with dissimilar capitals and dog-tooth ornament. On the left, the aumbry or book alcove is complete with shelf grooves. The first door leads to the library and vestry, a barrel-vaulted chamber later adopted as a family vault by the Earls of Buchan, while the parlour beyond is the Erskine vault.

Chapter-house

Similar to the east processional doorway, the doorway with its flanking openings makes an attractive unit. Stairs lead down to the barrel-vaulted chamber, with its stone bench and attractive interlaced arcading on the east wall. Next comes the day stair which gave access to the dormitory and treasury. Ahead, the doorway leads down steps to the lowest level where a door on the left opens onto the warming house (calefactory) with two central pillars. The original fireplace was in the east wall as in the novices' day room across the passage.

Dormitory

Access was by the night stair from the south transept. Extending the full length of the eastern range, it was altered following fire damage and in the 16C when dwelling rooms were made.

Frater and subcroft

Lying on the south side of the cloister are two barrel-vaulted chambers which were surmounted by the refectory. The most outstanding feature is the wheel window in the west gable. The west wall of the cloister has a lavatory, a recess for hand washing before meals.

Gatehouse

To the south of the frater on the far side of the water channel is this 15C gatehouse which was at one time connected to the main building by a covered bridge.

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