The Early Gothic Church at Dundrennan Abbey

Study of the remains of the church at Dundrennan Abbey shows that it has been the subject of considerable restoration in the 19th century. The previously accepted view that the building incorporates substantial parts of the fabric of a mid 12th century church which was largely remodelled in the late 12th century cannot be substantiated. The western crossing piers, long thought to be part of this earlier structure, can be shown to have been substantially repaired and restored using salvaged elements from the nave piers. The presbytery high vault and crossing arches rose high above the flanking walltops and traces of an abandoned high vaulting scheme for the north transept have been identified and reconstructed in detail. The northern English Cistercian influences on the architecture have been confirmed as emanating from Roche and Kirkstead Abbeys but in particular from the great abbey of Byland.

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