226 Report of the Meetings for 1895. 



After every one was satisfied, they remounted the carriages 

 and drove back to Coldingham, which was reached about 2.30. 



COLDINGHAM PRIORY. 



A visit was then paid to the venerable Priory, under the 

 guidance of the Rev. David Munro, minister of the parish. 

 Proceeding first to the scene of recent excavations by the Heri- 

 tors, on the site of the Refectory, these were minutely examined. 

 The excavations have been made with a view to ascertain the 

 dimensions of the Refectory, and to discover the characteristics 

 of its architecture, but little has been found. The foundations 

 of the south wall have been exposed at one or two places, show- 

 ing that a series of half-round pillars which supported the 

 vaulting ribs of the roof had extended along the inside of the 

 wall, as they are seen to have done along the wall opposite. 

 A number of the stones which composed some of the ribs of the 

 vaulting have been recovered. They are extremely simple in 

 style, merely having a chamfer taken off each of the lower 

 angles. A few fragments of mediaeval pottery with rich olive 

 green and yellow glaze on the outside have also been found. 



Entering the church, the company were addressed by the Rev. 

 Mr Munro, and Mr Hippolyte J. Blanc, A.R.S.A., Edinburgh, 

 on the characteristics of the architecture of Coldingham Priory. 

 As is well-known, from the repeated descriptions of the edifice, 

 "Coldingham Priory was founded about the year 1098, by 

 Edgar king of Scotland, who having been driven from his 

 throne, fled into England, and obtainfed fjom William Rufus a 

 considerable force, and from the Prior of Durham, the banner 

 of St. Cuthbert, to assist him in subduing his rebellious subjects. 

 He afterwards considered he was as much indebted for his 

 success to the banner and the priests, as to the king aud iiis 

 soldiers ; and as a proof of his gratitude, he founded the church 

 of St. Mary, Coldingham, had it constituted a cell of Durham, 

 and bestowed on it the lands of Paxton, Fishwick, and the 

 village of Swinton." 



Rev. Mr Munro, in the course of his remarks, said the special 

 features of the architecture of the existing fragment of the 

 ancient Priory he would not attempt to describe — alike from a 

 sense of his own incompetency, and from the fact of the presence 

 of so distinguished an architect as Mr Hippolyte Blanc. He 

 could only speak to them of the changes that had been made on 



