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Basic Site Details

Name: Dunfermline Abbey
Town, district or village: Dunfermline
City or county: Fife
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: A Listed
Grid ref:
Notes: Gateways and walls B Listed.

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Abbey  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 201755 RepairRepairs
Item 2 of 201770 Repair 
Item 3 of 201807  Collapse of south-west tower
Item 4 of 2018081810 Rebuilding of south-west tower, plus repairs, alterations and improvements
Item 5 of 201813  Consultation on Stark's proposals
Item 6 of 20Before 1813  Proposals for new parish church
Item 7 of 2018451848 Restoration
Item 8 of 201888  windows by Bodley
Item 9 of 2018891892 Pulpit, communion table, steps, gates, redecoration of parish church
Item 10 of 203 September 1901  Heritors approve report on state of roof of north aisle
Item 11 of 208 April 1904 Plans approvedReseating, heating and ventilation
Item 12 of 2021 October 1905  Reopened after redecoration
Item 13 of 201909  Refectory and pedestrian gate
Item 14 of 201911After 1915 Repairs to stonework
Item 15 of 201916  New paving to nave, showing outline of the original 12th-century church recently excavated by Chalmers
Item 16 of 201921  Repairs to roof of tower
Item 17 of 201930  New lectern by Davidson
Item 18 of 201952  South choir aisle fitted up as a war memorial (plans dated c.1951 - 1959)
Item 19 of 2011 May 1952  South choir aisle dedicated
Item 20 of 20c. 1982c. 1988Restoration 

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 34George PatersonArchitectA1755 Repairs
Item 2 of 34George PatersonArchitectM1770 Repairs
Item 3 of 34William StarkArchitectB18081810Rebuilding of south-west tower, plus repairs, alterations and improvements
Item 4 of 34William Stirling IArchitect 1813 Consulted on William Stark's proposals
Item 5 of 34William StarkArchitectCBefore 1813 Proposals for new parish church
Item 6 of 34H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)Architectural practiceD18451848Restoration - with Nixon as architect in charge of the Office of Works in Scotland, with Matheson as assistant
Item 7 of 34Robert MathesonArchitectD18451848Restoration - as assistant to William Nixon, architect in charge of the Office of Works in Scotland
Item 8 of 34William NixonArchitectD18451848Restoration - Nixon as architect in charge of the Office of Works in Scotland, with Matheson as assistant
Item 9 of 34Thomas BonnarBuilder 1854 Recommendations for improvements
Item 10 of 34Robert ReidArchitectNBefore 1856 Restoration - as Head of Scottish Office of Works
Item 11 of 34Bodley & GarnerArchitectural practiceE1880 East window of s transept (with William Wilson)
Item 12 of 34George Frederick BodleyArchitectE1880 East window of s transept
Item 13 of 34Thomas GarnerArchitectE1880 East window of s transept
Item 14 of 34(Sir) Robert Rowand AndersonArchitectF18891892Pulpit, commumion table, steps, gates, redecoration of parish church
Item 15 of 34Wardrop & AndersonArchitectural practiceF18891892Pulpit, commumion table, steps, gates, redecoration of parish church
Item 16 of 34(Sir) Robert Rowand AndersonArchitectG19001901West window of south transept?
Item 17 of 34Anderson Simon & CrawfordArchitectural practiceG19001901West window of south transept?
Item 18 of 34Andrew ScobieArchitect 3 September 1901 Heritors approve report by Scobie on state of roof of north aisle
Item 19 of 34(Sir) Robert Rowand AndersonArchitectH19041905Reseating, heating and ventilation
Item 20 of 34Rowand Anderson & PaulArchitectural practiceH19041905Reseating, heating and ventilation
Item 21 of 34(Sir) Robert Stodart LorimerArchitectI1909 Refectory and pedestrian gate
Item 22 of 34(Sir) Robert Rowand AndersonArchitectJ1911After 1915Repairs to stonework
Item 23 of 34Rowand Anderson & PaulArchitectural practiceJ1911After 1915Repairs to stonework
Item 24 of 34Peter Macgregor ChalmersArchitect 1916 New paving to nave, showing outline of the original 12th-century church recently excavated by Chalmers
Item 25 of 34Muirhead & RutherfordArchitectural practiceK1921 Repairs to roof of tower
Item 26 of 34Thomas RutherfordArchitectK1921 Repairs to roof of tower
Item 27 of 34H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)Architectural practiceL1934 Improvements on Durie Bay (Nave) - with Shearer as consultant and under Wilson Paterson as architect to the Office of Works
Item 28 of 34James Grant ShearerArchitectL1934 Improvements on Durie Bay (Nave) in consultation with J Wilson Paterson
Item 29 of 34John Wilson PatersonArchitectL1934 Improvements on Durie Bay (Nave)- as consultant to Shearer and architect of the Office of Works
Item 30 of 34James Grant ShearerArchitectM19381939Re-inforcement and repair of roof over Abbey Church
Item 31 of 34James Grant ShearerArchitectN1952 South choir aisle fitted up as a war memorial
Item 32 of 34Marcus MacDonald JohnstonArchitectP19821988Restorastion
Item 33 of 34Shearer & AnnandArchitectural practicePc. 1982c. 1988Restoration
Item 34 of 34William Gordon WithersArchitectPc. 1982c. 1988Restoration

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 2Durie, NClients for Durie Bay
Item 2 of 2Lindores, Mrs Maitland JClients for Durie Bay

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):
 Building NameNotes
Item 1 of 7Dunfermline Abbey Churchyard, Queen Margaret's tomb 
Item 2 of 7Dunfermline Abbey, entrance gateways and walls including toolhouse 
Item 3 of 7Dunfermline Abbey, Gatehouse 
Item 4 of 7Dunfermline Abbey, lecternCarver: Thomas Good of Edinburgh. Smith: Thomas Bogie of Edinburgh. Joiner/woodwork: Alexander Thomson.

Designed to harmonise with R R Anderson's pulpit and communion table (listed under Dunfermline Abbey's main entry).
Item 5 of 7Dunfermline Abbey, pended tower 
Item 6 of 7Dunfermline Abbey, South African War Memorial 
Item 7 of 7Dunfermline Abbey, Wardlaw Vault 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Colvin, Howard2008A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 London: YUP. 4th edition 
Item 2 of 4Gifford, John1988Fife (The Buildings of Scotland)  pp178-181 (war memorial chapel), 182, 184
Item 3 of 4Henderson, E1879Annals of Dunfermline  p569
Item 4 of 4Pride, Glen L1999The Kingdom of Fife2nd EditionThe Rutland Pressp10

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Architect1890XLIV p 164 - pulpit
Item 2 of 6Builder1905LXXXIX p 506
Item 3 of 6Building NewsOctober 1905LXXXIX p 598
Item 4 of 6Edinburgh Evening Courant12 December 1808   
Item 5 of 6Journal of Decorative ArtDecember 1905XXV pp 449-50
Item 6 of 6RIBA JournalMarch 1947 London: Royal Institute of British ArchitectsObituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 9Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register25961New Abbey Parish Church
Item 2 of 9Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register46893 
Item 3 of 9Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register25960Nave
Item 4 of 9National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO)Heritors Records HR 159 (HR 159/1, 9 May 1771 for 1770 work by George Paterson).
Item 5 of 9National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO)Kirk Session RecordsCH2/105/8pp289-96
Item 6 of 9National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSLorimer and Matthew Collection LOR D/15 (For Lorimer work)
Item 7 of 9National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSShearer and Annand Collection SA 1950/73/1-20 (drawings) and 21-35 Ms (jobfiles etc)
Item 8 of 9National Records of Scotland (formerly SRO, later NAS)Ministry of Works files MW 1/342 & 1/901
Item 9 of 9RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers James Grant Shearer: L no5519 (combined box 85) and F no4072 (box 32)

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