164 Transactions. 



buildings of St. Niniau's day. It was founded in the twelfth 

 century —in the reign of David I., the " sair sanct for the Crown " 

 — by Fergus, Lord of Galloway, the reputed founder also of 

 Dundrennan Abbey, and father of the founder of Lincluden Abbey. 

 Almost the only fragment of it still standing above ground is a 

 portion of the nave and of the lower walls of the steeple and porch 

 at the west end ; but recent excavations have opened up a double 

 row of crypts beneath the chancel and transepts, and have revealed 

 the foundations of other walls and a piece of causeway near to the 

 modern Parish Church, about two feet below the present level of 

 the ground. The church and monastic buildings must have 

 occupied the whole of the present churchyard, the modern inter- 

 ments being made among their foundations, and to some extent in 

 the debris which has accumulated around the old walls. This has 

 made the work of excavation one of difficulty and delicacy, and has 

 very properly prevented it from being pursued to the full extent 

 ■which in other circumstances would have been desirable. The 

 Priory enclosure had extended to the main street of the burgh, 

 from which a long lane now leads to the churchyard gate. At the 

 street end of that lane there remains in position an old arch or 

 " pend " with a lion rampant and unicorn supporters sculptured in 

 bold relief over the key-stone. This may either be the royal arms 

 or the arms of the province of Galloway. The excavations have 

 been conducted at the cost of the Marquis of Bute, with consent of 

 the heritors of the parish, and under the direction of Mr Galloway. 

 The general result is to show that the church had been in shape 

 like a Latin cross, with north and south transepts, and that the 

 monastic buildings had been to the north side, a position naturally 

 determined by the position of the Kett, a stream which flows at 

 the foot of a gentle declivity to the north, and would supply water 

 for domestic purposes and also for the mill, which it is understood 

 was attached to the Priory. The present church stands on the 

 site of part of these structures. The date of its erection was 1822. 

 Before that time the remnant of the Priory had been used for 

 public worship. The modern edifice is apparently a commodious 

 one ; but its design is by no means artistic — a tower dressed with 

 red stone projecting like an excrescence from a plain square 

 building, whitened with a rough casting of lime. It so offended 

 the susceptibilities of John liuskin when paying a visit to the 

 district that he declared he would gladly give £10 to help to 

 remove the tower. The most notable feature in the Priory ruins 



