Rosslyn Chapel must be one of the best known buildings in Scotland, but with its magnificent carving it is also one of the most impressive medieval religious buildings in Scotland. It has been a tourist destination since the late C18th when Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott put it on the tourist map and became world known after the publication of Dan Brown’s ‘Da Vinci Code” and the film.
Stone carvings cover the chapel’s entire interior surface, and much of its exterior. Many different stories are told about the chapel. Some have said that its founder was trying to leave a message for future generations to decipher. Some of the carvings suggest a connection to the Freemasons and others to the Knights Templar. Some Believe the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus drank from the night before He was crucified, was brought here by the Knights Templar and buried here for safekeeping… We will probably never know as many of the documents relating to the life of William Sinclair and the origins of the chapel were destroyed in a fire.
Rosslyn Chapel, originally known as the Collegiate Church of St Matthew, was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair (Sinclair), Earl of Orkney and Caithness. The St Claires had come across from Normandy with William the Conqueror and had become rich and powerful land owners.
The chapel was designed as a private place of worship for the family and also as their burial vault. It would ensure Sir William’s place in Heaven, with priests praying for his soul.
It was a massive project and the town of Roslin was built to accommodate masons and other workers, who were very well paid. Regular masons received a salary of 10 pounds per year, with Master masons earned as much as 40 pounds a year. It was built using stone from Roslin Glen and in the latest Gothic style with pointed windows and arches and flying buttresses. It was planned with nave, transepts, central tower, choir and a crypt.
Sir William died in 1484 and was buried in the chapel. Work was continued by William's son, Sir Oliver St Clair, but only the chancel and sacristy (crypt) were completed. The transepts and nave were never built. It isn’t known if money ran out or whether Sir Oliver didn’t want to spend any more of his inheritance on such an expensive project, as unfortunately most of early documentation has been lost.
After the Reformation in Scotland in 1560, the Sinclairs continued to use the chapel in secret for Catholic services until 1592. It was then abandoned and the altars removed. It gradually fell into disrepair.
During the Civil War, it was used as stabling by Parliamentary troops.
Some repairs were carried out in the mid C18th when windows were glazed, the floor relayed with flagstones and the roof repaired.
With the rise of Romanticism the late C17th, people like Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, JMW Turner and Dorothy Wordsworth visited the ruins and the chapel began to become a popular tourist spot.
Despite this, by the C19th, the building was in a bad condition. The limestone had absorbed large amounts of moisture. Mosses, ferns, and other plants began to grow inside the chapel, causing even more damage to the stones. It had become known as the ‘Green Chapel’.
Queen Victoria visited the chapel in 1842, expressed the desire that it be ‘preserved for the country’ and she wanted to see it as working church again. The 3rd Earl of Rosslyn employed the architect David Bryce to do the job. Stained glass was fitted for the first time and the chapel was rededicated in 1862. A new porch which included a baptistry and organ loft was added on the west side in 1881. It is a different colour, being built of a different stone to the rest of the chapel.
By 1954, the limestone had absorbed so much water, it was regularly running down the inside of the walls. In 1954, the Ministry of Works in Scotland declared that the building was suffering extreme effects of the dampness, and if nothing were done, the dilapidated building would likely be condemned. A restoration project was quickly begun.
Fine brushes and ammonia were used to remove all debris and plant material and to thoroughly clean the stone. The stonework was then coated with several layers of cement slurry. Not only did this cover much of the fine detail, it also sealed moisture inside the stones.
By the 1990s the chapel was getting in a dangerous condition again. In 1997 a protective cover was erected over the building to allow the stone to dry out.
Roofs were recovered in lead, a new rainwater system installed and a new heating system. Cracks and crumbling stonework has been repaired.This achieved a much more stable and comfortable internal environment. Stained glass was removed, cleaned and repaired. The metal canopy was removed in 2010 and work was completed in 2013.
The publication of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code resulted in a massive influx of visitors from 30,00-40,000 per year to nearly with nearly 200,000 a month. The income provided much needed funds to restore the building as well as funding new visitor facilities.
website
cont...
Stone carvings cover the chapel’s entire interior surface, and much of its exterior. Many different stories are told about the chapel. Some have said that its founder was trying to leave a message for future generations to decipher. Some of the carvings suggest a connection to the Freemasons and others to the Knights Templar. Some Believe the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus drank from the night before He was crucified, was brought here by the Knights Templar and buried here for safekeeping… We will probably never know as many of the documents relating to the life of William Sinclair and the origins of the chapel were destroyed in a fire.
Rosslyn Chapel, originally known as the Collegiate Church of St Matthew, was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair (Sinclair), Earl of Orkney and Caithness. The St Claires had come across from Normandy with William the Conqueror and had become rich and powerful land owners.
The chapel was designed as a private place of worship for the family and also as their burial vault. It would ensure Sir William’s place in Heaven, with priests praying for his soul.
It was a massive project and the town of Roslin was built to accommodate masons and other workers, who were very well paid. Regular masons received a salary of 10 pounds per year, with Master masons earned as much as 40 pounds a year. It was built using stone from Roslin Glen and in the latest Gothic style with pointed windows and arches and flying buttresses. It was planned with nave, transepts, central tower, choir and a crypt.
Sir William died in 1484 and was buried in the chapel. Work was continued by William's son, Sir Oliver St Clair, but only the chancel and sacristy (crypt) were completed. The transepts and nave were never built. It isn’t known if money ran out or whether Sir Oliver didn’t want to spend any more of his inheritance on such an expensive project, as unfortunately most of early documentation has been lost.
After the Reformation in Scotland in 1560, the Sinclairs continued to use the chapel in secret for Catholic services until 1592. It was then abandoned and the altars removed. It gradually fell into disrepair.
During the Civil War, it was used as stabling by Parliamentary troops.
Some repairs were carried out in the mid C18th when windows were glazed, the floor relayed with flagstones and the roof repaired.
With the rise of Romanticism the late C17th, people like Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, JMW Turner and Dorothy Wordsworth visited the ruins and the chapel began to become a popular tourist spot.
Despite this, by the C19th, the building was in a bad condition. The limestone had absorbed large amounts of moisture. Mosses, ferns, and other plants began to grow inside the chapel, causing even more damage to the stones. It had become known as the ‘Green Chapel’.
Queen Victoria visited the chapel in 1842, expressed the desire that it be ‘preserved for the country’ and she wanted to see it as working church again. The 3rd Earl of Rosslyn employed the architect David Bryce to do the job. Stained glass was fitted for the first time and the chapel was rededicated in 1862. A new porch which included a baptistry and organ loft was added on the west side in 1881. It is a different colour, being built of a different stone to the rest of the chapel.
By 1954, the limestone had absorbed so much water, it was regularly running down the inside of the walls. In 1954, the Ministry of Works in Scotland declared that the building was suffering extreme effects of the dampness, and if nothing were done, the dilapidated building would likely be condemned. A restoration project was quickly begun.
Fine brushes and ammonia were used to remove all debris and plant material and to thoroughly clean the stone. The stonework was then coated with several layers of cement slurry. Not only did this cover much of the fine detail, it also sealed moisture inside the stones.
By the 1990s the chapel was getting in a dangerous condition again. In 1997 a protective cover was erected over the building to allow the stone to dry out.
Roofs were recovered in lead, a new rainwater system installed and a new heating system. Cracks and crumbling stonework has been repaired.This achieved a much more stable and comfortable internal environment. Stained glass was removed, cleaned and repaired. The metal canopy was removed in 2010 and work was completed in 2013.
The publication of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code resulted in a massive influx of visitors from 30,00-40,000 per year to nearly with nearly 200,000 a month. The income provided much needed funds to restore the building as well as funding new visitor facilities.
website
cont...
