Stobo Kirk facts for kids
Stobo Kirk is an old and important church in Scotland. It's dedicated to a saint named St Mungo. You can find it near Peebles, a town in the Scottish Borders area. This church has been around for a very long time!
Contents
History of Stobo Kirk
Early Beginnings
People think there has been a church on this spot since the 500s. St Kentigern, also known as St Mungo, started many churches. He was an important leader of the church in a kingdom called Strathclyde. Stobo Kirk is believed to be one of the churches he founded.
Stobo was like the "mother church" for many smaller churches nearby. These included places like Dawyck, Drumelzier, and Tweedsmuir.
Medieval Times and Changes
A new church, which is the ancestor of the building we see today, was built in the 1100s. But later, in the 1400s and 1500s, many Scottish people wanted changes in the church. The main church at the time, the Roman Catholic Church, had become very rich. Meanwhile, many people were still poor. This made people want to reform, or change, the church in Scotland. The people of Stobo felt the same way.
After the Reformation
After the big changes of the Protestant Reformation, many old churches were destroyed. But Stobo Kirk was lucky! It kept many parts of its original 1100s building. This includes some windows, the main hall (called the nave), and the area around the altar (called the chancel).
The church's tower was made taller in the 1500s. Then, in 1863, a famous architect named John Lessels did a lot of repair work. More big repairs happened in 1929. Even though the outside of the church looks simple, the inside is full of interesting history and character.
The Legend of Merlin
There's a cool legend about Stobo Kirk! It says that St Kentigern helped Myrddin Wyllt, also known as Merlin the wizard, become a Christian. The story says St Kentigern baptized Merlin on a big rock near Drumelzier. Merlin had run away to the forest after a big battle in 573.
There's a large rock at that spot called the 'Altar Stone'. Inside Stobo Kirk, a beautiful stained glass window shows this special moment.
Exploring the Kirk Building
Both the church building and its graveyard are important historical sites.
The Porch
The porch was added to the church in the late 1400s or 1500s. Look closely at the left side of the doorframe. You'll see grooves! These were made by students sharpening their slate pencils before class. They might also have been used to sharpen arrowheads. This was for archery practice, which became required after a big battle called the Battle of Flodden.
The main entrance into the church's nave is from the 1100s. Its door is made from a single piece of cedar wood. This wood came from the nearby Dawyck estate.
On the outside wall of the porch, you can see old metal clamps called Jougs. These were used to punish people who misbehaved in the parish until the 1700s.
Inside the nave, the main part of the church, you'll find a reconstructed Celtic cross. It was found broken in the stonework during repairs. You can also see red paint on some of the stonework. This reminds us that churches used to be brightly painted before the Reformation.
North Aisle Chapel
This part of the church was rebuilt to look like an old style of art. People used to think this was where Saint Kentigern's own chapel was. It has a standing stone built into its wall. This area was probably a special chapel for prayers or burials in the 1400s. You can see old burial stones here, including one for Robert Vesey and others for a local miller and a knight. The altar stone here might be connected to the legend of Merlin becoming a Christian.
The Tower
The church tower might have been built in the 1100s, but it has been rebuilt several times. It used to lead to the 'Laird's Loft', which was a special viewing area for the local lord. Today, the tower has a meeting room and a vestry (a room where clergy prepare). You can also see old windows that were blocked up, probably in the 1500s.
Brass Hanging Lamps
The Balfour family, who lived at Stobo Castle, gave several brass hanging lamps to the church. One of these lamps was made in Germany between 1693 and 1701. The other lamps are either copies or were made by other craftspeople from the same city.
Stobo Kirk in Art
The church has even been featured in art! A famous Scottish landscape painter from the 1900s, James McIntosh Patrick, painted it. His well-known painting, 'Stobo Kirk' (from 1939), is now in the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.
See also
- Dawyck Chapel
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of listed buildings in Stobo, Scottish Borders
