© All rights reserved. Builder LIX, 4 October 1890, page 4 

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Basic Site Details

Name: St Benedict's Abbey
Town, district or village: Fort Augustus
City or county: Inverness-shire
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: The complete buildings of St. Benedict's Monastery, College, and Hospital, at Fort Augustus, N.B., illustrated in our pages by a perspective view, February 22nd, 1878, were opened on Tuesday week. 13th-century Gothic is adopted throughout as the style. The site is that of the Old Fort, and has, together with large contributions to the endowments, been given by Lord Lovat. Messrs J. A. Hansom and Son, of Kensington, were the architects, and Mr. Stokes has acted as clerk of the works. [Building News 3 September 1880 p285]

FORT AUGUSTUS - On the 21th ult. the completed Monastery of St. Benedict, Fort Augustus, was opened. The foundation-stone of the College was laid by the Marquis of Ripon in September 1876. The buildings were proceeded with great rapidity, and in 1878 the College was opened. The buildings now completed consist of the monastery, which has accommodation for forty or fifty monks; the hospice, which is divided into twenty-four rooms; and the college, with dormitories, halls, and class-rooms, calculated to accommodate about 100 pupils. These buildings occupy the three sides of a quadrangle, the remaining side being only closed in by the cloisters, and from the centre of it an arch opens into a fine scriptorium, supported by central arches. This is the south side of the quadrangle, and the intention is to erect here at some future date a branch to the cloisters, with an octagonal chapter house and a church. The north side of the quadrangle is taken up by the college, the west side of the hospice, and the east side by the monastery. Inside the quadrangle are the cloisters, designed by Messrs Pugin, of Westminster. These are Early Decorated Gothic. A spacious open ambulatory, accessible from the first floor of the monastery, occupies the roof of the cloisters. The passage floors are of tiles, while the wood works inside are chiefly of pitch pine and oak. The whole buildings, as already completed, represent an expenditure of about £55,000, and the entire buildings contemplated are estimated to cost about £100,000. The cloisters alone have cost £7,000, and the scriptorium cost about £1,000. The works have been conducted under the direction of the Benedictine Fathers, by tradesmen under the immediate charge of a clerk of works, the present clerk of works being Mr Andrew Cruickshank, a Banffshire man. [Building News 10 September 1880 p312]

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 1St. Benedict's Monastery, College, and Hospital  

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 2Abbey  
Item 2 of 2Church  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 817291742 Original barracks building built
Item 2 of 818761879 Converted from barracks
Item 3 of 818801896 Abbey Church, tower in east block, great staircase, chapter house etc added
Item 4 of 81880 Design exhibited 
Item 5 of 88 January 1892 Journal referenceAdditions
Item 6 of 819131914 Restoration
Item 7 of 8c. 1966  West narthex, baptistery and porch
Item 8 of 81980 Alterations and additionsChurch completed with addition of E apse to choir, plastering of nave walls and reordering in accordance with Vatican II. Work included tester of matel lampshades over high altar.

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 11Joseph Aloysius HansomArchitectA18761879Converted from barracks. Also gatelodge
Item 2 of 11Joseph Aloysius Hansom & Joseph Stanislaus HansomArchitectural practiceA18761879Converted from barracks. Also gatelodge
Item 3 of 11Joseph Stanislaus HansomArchitectA18761879Converted from barracks
Item 4 of 11Cuthbert Welby PuginArchitectB1878 Completed conversion by Hansom including Abbey Church - also tower in east block, great staircase, chapter house etc added
Item 5 of 11Peter Paul PuginArchitectB18781896Completed conversion by Hansom including Abbey Church - also tower in east block, great staircase, chapter house etc added
Item 6 of 11Pugin & PuginArchitectural practiceB18781896Completed conversion by Hansom including Abbey Church - also tower in east block, great staircase, chapter house etc added
Item 7 of 11Duncan CameronArchitect 1892 Additions
Item 8 of 11Reginald Francis Joseph FairlieArchitectC19131914Restoration, nave
Item 9 of 11Alexander Ritchie ConlonArchitectD1952 Took over work from Fairlie
Item 10 of 11Charles William GrayArchitect c. 1966 West narthex, baptistery and porch
Item 11 of 11William Watt AllanArchitectJ1980 Church completed with addition of E apse to choir, plastering of nave walls and reordering in accordance with Vatican II. Work included tester of matel lampshades over high altar.

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 1St Benedict's Abbey School 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Gifford, John1992Highland and Islands (The Buildings of Scotland) Penguin Booksp169-171 and 169n
Item 2 of 6Graves, Algernon1905The Royal Academy of Arts: a complete dictionary of exhibitors and their works…1905-6London: Graves and Bell1880, no 1182
Item 3 of 6Nuttgens, Patrick1959Reginald Fairlie 1883-1952: A Scottish Architect Edinburgh: Oliver & Boydpp19-21 & 48
Item 4 of 6Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1925   200
Item 5 of 6RSA1919   747
Item 6 of 6Sanders, John1997Pugin & Pugin and the Diocese of Glasgow Architectural Heritage VIII, pp89-107p91

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Builder4 October 1890  p4
Item 2 of 6Building News22 February 1878  perspective
Item 3 of 6Building News3 September 1880  p285
Item 4 of 6Building News10 September 1880  p312 - opening
Item 5 of 6Illustrated London News28 August 1880  Cloisters, scriptorum
Item 6 of 6Inverness Courier8 January 1892  Cameron work

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 4Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register1861Monastery and school
Item 2 of 4Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register1863Gate lodge
Item 3 of 4Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register1862Abbey Church
Item 4 of 4RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie: F no2574 (box 8)

Images

© All rights reserved. Builder LIX, 4 October 1890, page 4 

© All rights reserved. Builder LIX, 4 October 1890, page 4