Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced that high-level masonry inspections to review the historic fabric at Dunfermline Abbey and Palace have begun.
Given the extensive size of the site, specialized teams are employing various techniques to access the property. These methods include abseiling and utilizing a 73-meter Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) to reach the elevated sections of the Abbey spire.
These inspections are part of a national initiative aimed at evaluating the impact of climate change on structures featuring masonry exceeding 1.5 meters, alongside various other contributing factors. The findings from these surveys will guide any required remedial actions and future conservation efforts at locations throughout Scotland.
To support these activities, a temporary road closure on St Catherine’s Wynd, extending from the Life nightclub to the vennel at the Palace Gatehouse, will be enforced until 17 January, ensuring a safe working distance for the Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP).
HES stated that Dunfermline Abbey will remain open whilst the inspections continue throughout January, with occasional safety cordons in place to allow the team space to work.
Grant Black, High Level Masonry Programme Manager at HES, said:
“The inspections at Dunfermline Abbey are part of an ongoing programme looking at the impact of climate change on historic structures, in combination with other factors. The spire on the Abbey stands at roughly 40 metres high, making it the tallest site we’ve inspected so-far, which means we need to employ a number of different methods at the site to carry out the inspection programme. These tactile inspections, which also involve checking masonry by hand, are helping us to examine the Abbey in different ways and will help to manage the site for future generations.”
Dunfermline Abbey
In 1070, Queen Margaret established a priory in Dunfermline at the location of her marriage to Malcolm III. She brought a small group of Benedictine monks from Canterbury, thereby initiating the first Benedictine establishment in Scotland. In 1128, David I elevated the priory to the status of an abbey, commissioning the construction of a grand new church, of which the impressive nave remains today. The Romanesque columns bear resemblance to those found in Durham Cathedral, suggesting that the same craftsmen may have been responsible for their creation.
In 1250, the remains of St. Margaret were relocated to a richly adorned shrine situated at the eastern end of the church. Currently, a 19th-century parish church, known as the Abbey Church, occupies the site of the former choir and presbytery. This location also serves as the burial site for Robert I and other royals, and today it hosts an active congregation of the Church of Scotland.
Historic Environment Scotland
HES is a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. It is at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future, investigating and recording architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes across Scotland and caring for more than 300 properties of national importance.
Additionally, they provide outreach, educational, and cultural activities. The organization also plays a crucial role in Scotland’s planning system by providing a core statutory and regulatory function.
