Cambuskenneth Abbey Traditional Cache
Lorgadh: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it.
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Lorgadh
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(small)
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The small village of Cambuskenneth lies directly to the east of Stirling. The village is enclosed within a broad loop in the River Forth and the only road out runs north for about a mile before meeting the A907 in Causewayhead. There is also a footbridge over the Forth from the Riverside area of Stirling. The footbridge was constructed in 1934, but the village still retains a slightly odd sense of close proximity to the city to its west, but almost complete separateness from it.
It was probably this same combination of convenience and seclusion that led to the order to build the abbey by King David the First around the year 1140. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it was initially known as the Abbey of St Mary of Stirling and sometimes simply as Stirling Abbey.
At its height at the end of the 1200s Cambuskenneth comprised an extensive complex of buildings. This included a large abbey church, some 60 m long. To its south was the usual cloister surrounded by ranges of domestic buildings. Between the cloister and the river to its east stood secondary ranges of buildings and a wharf.
Cambuskenneth was one of the more important abbeys in Scotland, due in part to its proximity to the burgh of Stirling, a leading urban centre of the country and sometime capital. Royalty, including English King Edward and later Scottish King Robert the Bruce, prayed regularly at the abbey. Bruce held his parliament there in 1326 to confirm the succession of his son David.
By 1378 the abbey church was reported to be in ruins. It was rebuilt during the early 1400s and once again used by Scotland's royalty.
On 11 June 1488 the nearby Battle of Sauchie took place between James III's army and supporters of his 15-year-old son, James, Duke of Rothesay. James III fled before the battle commenced, and he subsequently “fell into the hands of vile persons and was slain”. His body was brought to Cambuskenneth Abbey and he was buried in front of the high altar of the abbey church, alongside his Queen, Margaret of Denmark, who had died in 1486 at Stirling Castle.
Today their last resting place is marked by a fine tomb, which was funded by Queen Victoria. It’s surrounded by railings, with views that include the Wallace Monument to the north and Stirling Castle to the west. But now the abbey church and most of the abbey has gone, this seems a slightly sad and incongruous burial place for a King, even for one of Scotland's most unpopular.
The abbey fell into disuse during the Scottish Reformation. By 1559 few monks remained here, and the abbey was closed and most of the buildings looted and burned. The abbey was placed under the jurisdiction of the military governor of Stirling Castle, who had much of the stonework removed and used in construction projects in the castle
Apart from the bell tower, which still stands today very little was left by the time the site was excavated by William Mackison, the Stirling Burgh Architect, in 1864. Look up to see some excellent gargoyles under the eaves of the tower.
Today's visitor finds an intriguing site comprising four very different elements. The only standing building is the bell tower. The rest of the abbey's main complex, including the abbey church and cloister is visible only from stone courses on the ground. Much of what you can actually see today owes as much to the 1860s restoration as to the original builders. The burial ground and James III's separate tomb comprise the third aspect of today's Cambuskenneth Abbey.
But perhaps the most interesting part of any visit to the abbey is the least obvious. Beyond the railed enclosure surrounding the main abbey complex are more remains and ruins in the rough pasture leading down to the riverside. These seem to correspond to the secondary ranges of buildings shown on the information board (picture attached), and so give a very rare opportunity to explore parts of an abbey ruin "in the wild".
The abbey was acquired by the crown in 1908, and it is presently managed by Historic Scotland. It is open to visitors from April to September, 9.30 till 6.00 Monday to Saturday and 2.00 till 6.00 on Sunday. Entry is free and visitors can enter the base room of the campanile; the stairs to the upper floors are locked, but are opened for visitors on occasion.
The cache is not inside the abbey grounds and therefore can be found at any time. There were limited places to hide a cache here and you will in full view of any visitors and people in the houses opposite so please be careful when retrieving the cache from the base of the central large tree.
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