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Buildings

Basic Site Details

St Benedict's Abbey
Fort Augustus
Inverness-shire
Scotland
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:

Alt classic

NameCurrent NameNotes
St. Benedict\'s Monastery, College, and Hospital

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:

Class classic

ClassificationOriginal ClassificationNotes
AbbeyNot Known
ChurchNot Known

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:

event classic

Event TypeFromToNotes
17291742Original barracks building built
18761879Converted from barracks
18801896Abbey Church, tower in east block, great staircase, chapter house etc added
Design exhibited1880
Journal reference1892/01/08Additions
19131914Restoration
1966cWest narthex, baptistery and porch
Alterations and additions1980Church 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.

design classic

PersonPartnership GroupRoleFromToNotes
Joseph Aloysius HansomA18761879Converted from barracks. Also gatelodge
Joseph Aloysius Hansom & Joseph Stanislaus HansomA18761879Converted from barracks. Also gatelodge
Joseph Stanislaus HansomA18761879Converted from barracks
Cuthbert Welby PuginB1878Completed conversion by Hansom including Abbey Church - also tower in east block, great staircase, chapter house etc added
Peter Paul PuginB18781896Completed conversion by Hansom including Abbey Church - also tower in east block, great staircase, chapter house etc added
Pugin & PuginB18781896Completed conversion by Hansom including Abbey Church - also tower in east block, great staircase, chapter house etc added
Duncan Cameron1892Additions
Reginald Francis Joseph FairlieC19131914Restoration, nave
Alexander Ritchie ConlonD1952Took over work from Fairlie
Charles William Gray1966cWest narthex, baptistery and porch
William Watt AllanJArchitect1980Church 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):

Child classic

NotesName
St Benedict's Abbey School

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:

bio ref classic

AuthorYearTitlePartPublisherNotes
Gifford, John1992Highland and Islands (The Buildings of Scotland)Penguin Booksp169-171 and 169n
Graves, Algernon1905The Royal Academy of Arts: a complete dictionary of exhibitors and their works…1905-6London: Graves and Bell1880, no 1182
Nuttgens, Patrick1959Reginald Fairlie 1883-1952: A Scottish ArchitectEdinburgh: Oliver & Boydpp19-21 & 48
RSA1919747
Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1925200
Sanders, John1997Pugin & Pugin and the Diocese of GlasgowArchitectural Heritage VIII, pp89-107p91

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:

period ref classic

Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Inverness Courier1892/01/08*Cameron work
Building News1878/02/22perspective
Building News1880/09/10p312 - opening
Illustrated London News1880/08/28*Cloisters, scriptorum
Builder1890/10/04p4
Building News1880/09/03p285

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:

arc ref classic

SourceNameCat NumberItem NameNotes
RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination PapersReginald Francis Joseph Fairlie: F no2574 (box 8)
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register1863Gate lodge
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register1862Abbey Church
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register1861Monastery and school