A Knight in the Cross Kirk

Today we were doing some chores in Peebles  and on the way home I persuaded John to pay another visit to the Cross Kirk just because I needed a blip. I've been before (check it out here) but it was his first visit and he was very impressed. The ruins are very substantial and not what you would expect to find just off the centre of the town.  The church was started in 1262 when a cross thought to belong to St. Nicholas was dug up (conveniently!) in the presence of the Scottish King Alexander III. In 1472 the church was converted into a monastery belonging to the order of the Trinitarian friars. This order was founded to seek freedom for Christians captured during the Crusades.

It ceased to be a monastery after the reformation but instead became the temporary parish church for Peebles after the existing church was burned down by the English in 1548. It was abandoned completely after a new parish church was build in 1656. It remained in use only as a burial aisle for Douglas Earls of March as well as the Earls of Morton and later for the Hays of Haystoun, a local family whose grave monument is in the neighbouring graveyard where I haven't ventured as yet as it also appears to be someone's garden.

Today the ruins are in the care of Historic Scotland and I suspect it doesn't get many legitimate visitors although there are many signs of vandalism such as beer bottles, crips packets etc. on view. 

When I was here last time I never spotted the knight set in above a doorway. If you look carefully you can see he has a saltire (flag of Scotland) medallion around his neck. I have been unable to discover who he might represent. He did however become my blip for today!