NEWBATTLE 

 . . . ABBEY, 



MIDLOTHIAN. 



Till: i v, - v juess oi i.othia i near Dalkeith 



stands on tlu- site .inJ embodies in itself the touiula- 

 tionsof the Cistercian Ahh.-y if NYwbattle, <>r v 

 bottle, founded in the year 1140 or 1141, .u\ordin<: 

 various!) t ..,; arters .inJ chronicles, by King Uav id I., 

 who also established Holyrood and many other eccleM.istic.il 



es in Scotland. The situation i-. sue i as the Cistei. 

 loved, and one that lias favoured the efforts of the garden- 

 maker's hand. It u.is not for the ins to settle in the 

 busy hai'nts of men ; they had chosen rather the seclusion ot 

 the wood and the \vilJ. While the Franciscans worked in the 

 to\n, and the Benedictines loved the hills, t f f..||..\vers of St. 

 Bernard of Cl.nrvaux sought the valleys by the streams. At 

 Newbattle, th. j South F.sk. escaped trom the green hills ,,t 

 Temple and the woody ravines of Dalhousie ever to he 

 associated with the famous " l.aird o' Cockpen " widens into 

 a valley, niv "Z place ti> .1 1 -n^ r.inm- -if im-.idows or level 

 "hau^hs." B.-hmd. to ihe north, are the remains ,.| 

 monastic villa^-, where once dwelt tin- hinds and shepherds, 

 separated from the Abbey gardens by massive st,>n w ilK, 

 a-cri!*ed to William the Lion. These an '---it walls st:l| form 



the boundary <>t the park on th.it side. Beyond the si: 

 the bank uses somewhat abruptly, and is broken int" ravines, 

 much wooded, which, upon investigation, are ' und to be th- 

 rem.iins of ancient coal-workings. The monks nt Newbattle 

 were probably the first to develop the coal industry in Scotland, 

 but the method of winning the mineral in those times was mme 

 like quarrying than the i.i.il-ininini; ot these days. 



The Abbey was not placed in a positi n to corn 

 e\tensj\e views. Sunk in the hollow In the midst <.f the 

 woods, where ancient beeches and venerable sycamores 

 flourished, the situation calls to mind siuh seclusion as St. 

 Bernard had sought at Citeaux. It may b<- worth while 

 since the Cistercians accomptis|,t-d a vast work in developing 

 the agriculture o| this country, to recall the fact that Oairvaux 

 was the daughter house of Citeaux, and that trom it sprang the 

 twin foundations ot Fountains and Kievaulx. It was Ailred 

 ot Kievaulx who went forth with a party ot brethren to found 

 the first Cistercian Abbey in Scotland th.- historic house ot 

 Mel rose and from Meltose went out the Ivethren who 

 established themselves at Newbattl . Thus a perfect chain 

 brings u* tr.Jin C^itei ix to the banks of the South l:sk. Tlv.- 



THE SOtTH TEKI^ACt. 



