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Durham E-Theses The distribution of pre-Norman sculpture in South-West Scotland : provenance, ornament and regional groups. Craig, Derek Johnston How to cite: Craig, Derek Johnston (1992) The distribution of pre-Norman sculpture in South-West Scotland : provenance, ornament and regional groups., Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1553/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 The Distribution of Pre-Norman Sculpture in South-West Scotland: provenance, ornament and regional groups in four volumes Volume 1 Derek Johnston Craig Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Durham Department of Archaeology 1992 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. -2 JUL 1993 Derek J. Craig The Distribution of Pre-Norman Sculpture in South-West Scotland: provenance, ornament and regional groups Ph.D. 1992 This thesis provides a descriptive illustrated catalogue and discussion of the early medieval stone crosses and related sculpture found within the modern Dumfries and Galloway Region of South-West Scotland. A number of sculptural groups are defined, and the implications of the distribution of these analysed. It is shown that there is a sharp diversity across the region between groups of sculpture with purely local links, groups that cluster in limited areas but demonstrate affinities outside the region, and single elaborately decorated monuments that exist independently of any local tradition. The iconography of these stones, and the territorial implications of a number of groups of sculpture are considered. In the catalogues the context of discovery of each sculptured stone is examined, in order to identify potentially datable activity at specific sites. The evidence for the location of a number of well known monuments is established for the first time, and several previously accepted descriptions and provenances are shown to be mistaken. There are supplementary chapters on the administrative evidence for Hoddom and Whithorn. The lost sculpture from Hoddom is examined in detail, and a definitive illustrated catalogue of this material is provided. The major sculptured monument from this area, the Ruthwell cross, which has generally been discussed in isolation, is examined here in relation to the other sculpture in the region, whose interest has less frequently been recognised. Statement of Copyright The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. CONTENTS Volume 1 Table of Contents 1 List of Tables 5 List of Figures 7 List of Plates 9 Abbreviations 15 Acknowledgements 16 Copyright Acknowledgements 18 Index of Sculpture 20 1. Introduction 26 2. Regional Background 33 3. Historical Background 42 4. The Anglian Bishopric of Whithorn 44 5. Previous Work on Sculpture in the Region 67 6. Provenance 92 7. Dating 98 PART I: Dumfries 103 8. Locational 104 9. Stylistic introduction 114 10. Hoddom: figural ornament 116 11. Hoddom: plant ornament, animal ornament & interlace 128 12. Boatford and Closeburn 141 13. Wamphray, Glencairn, Durrisdeer, Mossknow 158 14. The later sculpture in Nithsdale 169 15. Cross-bases, architectural and inscribed sculpture 174 1 PART II: Kirkcudbright 179 16. Sculptural groups in Kirkcudbright 180 17. Minnigaff 1 192 18. Trusty's Hill 197 Part III: Wigtown 202 19. The Early Christian inscribed stones 203 20. The Whithorn School 208 21. Related sculpture in the Whithorn area 222 22. Whithorn sculpture without interlace 230 23. St Ninian's Cave 235 24. The Rhins and moors area 241 25. Kilmorie 253 26. Conclusions 266 Tables and Figures 281 Appendix: Sculpture from Dumfries and Galloway 326 in public museums Bibliography 331 2 Volume 2 Table of Contents 1 List of Tables 2 List of Figures 3 Dumfries 4 List of Sculpture in Dumfries 6 Catalogue and Gazetteer 8 HODDOM 128 Introduction 129 Evidence for Discovery 132 Evidence for Loss and Present Position 142 A Critique of the Recorded Evidence 146 Measurements 153 An unprovenanced cross-arm in the Royal Museum 161 of Scotland Archaeology 166 Provenance 175 Historical, Territorial, and Administrative 180 HODDOM Descriptions 192 Kirkcudbright 268 List of Sculpture in Kirkcudbright 270 Catalogue and Gazetteer 271 3 Volume 3 Table of Contents 1 List of Tables 2 List of Figures 3 Wigtown 4 List of Sculpture in Wigtown 6 Catalogue and Gazetteer 9 Volume 4 Table of Contents 1 List of Plates 2 Copyright Acknowledgements and Credits 8 Note on Scale 10 Plates 11 1-69 Dumfries 70-99 Kirkcudbright 100-191 Wigtown 4 LIST OF TABLES (in Volumes 1, 2 and 3) Volume 1 page 1. Sculpture sites that might repay 280 further fieldwork or excavation 2. Sculpture sites and altitude 286 3. The Medieval Parishes 293 4. 'Stopped-plait' interlace in Dumfries and Galloway 306 5. 'Whithorn school' sculpture 308 6. Narrow-band plain interlace in relief (Whithorn area) 310 7. Median-incised interlace (not 'stopped-plait') 310 8. Motif Tables: A. free-armed cross-heads 316 9. B. plant-scroll 318 10. C. figural 320 11. D. animal 322 12. E. stones with inscriptions 324 13. Whithorn Priory Museum - concordance and contents 327 14. Dumfries Museum - contents 328 15. Stranraer Museum - contents 329 16. Stewartry Museum - contents 329 17. Royal Museum of Scotland - contents 330 Volume 2 page HODDOM - Earliest Recorded Position: 18. A. Knockhill summer-house 141 19. HODDOM - Measurements: A. Hoddom churchyard 158 20. B. Knockhill summer-house 159 HODDOM - Earliest Recorded Position: 21. B. Hoddom medieval churchyard 174 22. C. Hoddomcross 17th-century church 174 23. ARDWALL ISLE - Evidence for Discovery 276 5 Vol ume 3 page 24. ST NINIAN'S CAVE - concordance 238 25. WHITHORN - concordance 284 6 LIST OF FIGURES (in Volumes 1. 2 and 3) Volume 1 page 1. Sites with sculpture in the Dumfries and Galloway Region 282 2. The Irish Sea basin and general location of the region 283 3. Dumfries and Galloway Region - counties and district boundaries 284 4. Dumfries and Galloway Region - topography 285 5. Sculpture and topography in Dumfries and Galloway 287 6. Dumfries and Galloway Region - rivers 288 7. Sculpture and rivers in Dumfries and Galloway 289 8. Dumfries and Galloway Region - geology (solid) 290 9. Sculpture and geology in Dumfries and Galloway 291 10. The Medieval Parishes 292 11. Sculpture and medieval parishes in Dumfries and Galloway 295 12. Medieval pilgrimage routes to Whithorn 296 13. Sculpture in Dumfries and Galloway - relative totals per site 297 14. Index of sites with sculpture in Dumfries 298 15. Sculpture sites in northern Dumfries and Kirkcudbright, and in Strathclyde to the N. of the region 299 16. Index of sites with sculpture in Kirkcudbright 300 17. Index of sites with sculpture in Wigtown 301 18. Topography and sculpture in Galloway 302 19. Rivers and sculpture in Galloway 303 20. Sculpture in Galloway - relative totals per site 304 21. Sculpture in Galloway - discrete groups and clusters 305 22. Distribution of 'stopped-plait' interlace in Dumfries and Galloway 307 23. Distribution of 'Whithorn school' sculpture 309 24. Distribution of narrow-band plain interlace in Galloway 311 25. Distribution of incised sculpture in Galloway 312 7 26. Sculpture from church sites in Galloway 313 27. Sculpture from church sites in the Whithorn area 314 28. Distribution of free-armed cross-heads in Dumfries and Galloway 317 29. Distribution of plant-scroll ornament in Dumfries and Galloway 319 30. Distribution of figural ornament in Dumfries and Galloway 321 31. Distribution of animal ornament in Dumfries and Galloway 323 32. Distribution of stones with inscriptions in Dumfries and 325 Galloway Volume 2 page 33. Index of sites with sculpture in Dumfries 5 34. BOATFORD 1 - Riddell's 1793 drawing of the cross on Boatford farm, near Nith bridge, Thornhill 21 35. WAMPHRAY - Sketch of the visible part of Face C 120 36. HODDOM - Location of sites in the Hoddom area 131 37. HODDOM - Reconstruction of the layout of the sculpture visible in the walls of Knockhill summer-house before its demolition in 1915 140 38. HODDOM - Some possible identifications of the lands in S.W. Scotland listed in the Inquisitio of David as former possessions of the Church of Glasgow 183 39. HODDOM - Roman inscriptions (after Collingwood & Wright) 267 40. Index of sites with sculpture in Kirkcudbright 269 41. ARDWALL ISLE - Evidence for Discovery: showing the distribution of sculpture and graves, and the limits of excavation (after Thomas 1967a) 275 Volume 3 page 42. Index of sites with sculpture in Wigtown 5 43. KILMORIE, face A - animal head (i) 94 44. KILMORIE, face A - animal head (ii) 95 45. KIRKINNER 1, face A - reconstruction