Paisley Abbey is the burial place of all six
High Stewards of Scotland,
Marjorie Bruce who was the mother of
Robert II, and the wives of Robert II. The
Celtic
Barochan Cross, once sited near the village of
Houston, Renfrewshire, is now inside the abbey itself. The cross is thought to date from the 10th century. In the abbey's nave, the Wallace Memorial Window, which depicts the image of Samson, was donated in 1873.
Paisley Abbey Drain The earliest written record of a tunnel around Paisley Abbey dates from 1829, when workmen digging in the garden of one John Crawford in Ellis Lane, fell through into a tunnel. Early maps show Ellis Lane being in the region of the modern manhole leading to the drain. As the significance of this discovery was not realised at the time, access to the hole was quickly covered, and soon forgotten about. That was until 1879, when The Glasgow Herald mentioned the discovery of the subterranean passage. This was also forgotten about, and not ‘re-discovered’ until 1990, when a 90 metre stretch of tunnel was found running from the abbey to the White Cart. The drain is thought to date from AD 1350-1400 and is up to 2m wide and up to 2.2m high. The drain contains stonemasons marks on the walls, and marks where gates used to be. Before accessing the drain, water has to be pumped out. Paisley Abbey Drain is designated by
Historic Environment Scotland as a
Scheduled Ancient Monument and has similarities to other monastery drains, such as
Fountains Abbey,
Dundrennan Abbey and
Melrose Abbey. and many items discovered. Some of these are now on display in the abbey. These include: • a
slate with music marked on it - which is believed to be the oldest example of
polyphonic music found in Scotland • imported cloth seals • chamber pots from c.1500 • tweezers • carved bone handles • pottery fragments • slate fragments Carved slate from Paisley Abbey Great Drain.jpg Great Drain at Paisley Abbey.jpg Interior of Great Drain at Paisley Abbey.jpg Pottery fragments from the Great Drain at Paisley Abbey.jpg Events to involve the public in the archaeological investigation of the drain have been held, with the Renfrewshire Local History Forum.
Tombs (detail) A tomb in the choir incorporating a much-restored female effigy is widely believed to be that of Marjorie Bruce. Although there is no evidence that she is buried at exactly that location, her remains are thought to be within the abbey. The tomb is reconstructed from fragments of different origin – the base is likely to have originally formed part of the
pulpitum of the Abbey (a stone screen separating nave and choir), such as survives at
Glasgow Cathedral. Opposite Marjorie Bruce lie the tombs of
Robert III of Scotland and
Simon fitz Alan. A Latin inscription commemorates the three children of
Margaret Seton and
Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley who died as infants; Margaret (1577), Henry (1585), and Alexander (1587).
Stained glass Stained glass (removed in the
Reformation) began to be replaced in the 1870s. Major works include a window by
Edward Burne-Jones and the huge east window by
Douglas Strachan. The dramatic memorial window to James D. D. Shaw dates from 1989 and is by John Clark.
Abbey organ The Abbey organ is reputedly one of the finest in Scotland, and was originally built by the most distinguished of all 19th-century organ builders,
Cavaillé-Coll of
Paris in 1874. This is one of only six in the UK. Since 1874 it has been rebuilt and extended four times. The organ as rebuilt by Walker in 1968 has 4 manuals, 65 stops and 5448 pipes.(National Pipe Organ Register; "The Organ at Paisley Abbey", booklet pub. Paisley Abbey) In 2009 the instrument underwent a major restoration by Harrison and Harrison of Durham. The work included major cleaning and servicing, the provision of a new wind system and the addition of a 32 ft contre bombarde. The latter was part of the 1968 scheme by Ralph Downes but not included in the work actually undertaken.
Internal architectural details The twelve angel corbels and stone communion table are by
Pilkington Jackson, sculptor of the iconic
Robert the Bruce statue at
Bannockburn. The ceiling bosses are designed by
Sir Robert Lorimer and carved by James A Young. The choir stalls, with their wealth of carved animals are by William and Alexander Clow.
External architectural details s, famous for its resemblance to the
xenomorph creature from the 1979 film
Alien. Erected in the 1990s. Paisley Abbey has been rebuilt and its original design modified as a result of the building being destroyed in 1307, its tower's collapse in the 16th century, and general disrepair that occurred as the result of time and weather. During a restoration project that took place in the 1990s, a stonemason from
Edinburgh hired to replace twelve crumbling stone
gargoyles erected one bearing a strong resemblance to the
space creature from the 1979 science fiction film
Alien. A picture of the gargoyle went viral in 2013, though a photograph of the statue first surfaced on the internet in 1997. In 2002, it was confirmed the abbey would be subject to a 10-year-long restoration project. ==Current congregation==