page_title: St Andrews Cathedral
section_title: St Rule's tower
hierarchical_section_title: St Andrews Cathedral / St Rule's tower
caption_attribution_description: English: St Rule's Tower, St Andrews Situated in the grounds surrounding the ruined Cathedral. Dedicated to St Rule who it is said brought the bones of St Andrew to the area in or around the year 345. St Rule's Tower was built in the 11th century. It stands 35 mts high and is all that remains of St Regulus Church, an Augustinian building.
context_page_description: The Cathedral of St Andrew is a ruined cathedral in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was built in 1158 and became the centre of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland as the seat of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and the Bishops and Archbishops of St Andrews. It fell into disuse and ruin after Catholic mass was outlawed during the 16th-century Scottish Reformation. It is currently a monument in the custody of Historic Environment Scotland. The ruins indicate that the building was approximately 119 m long, and is the largest church to have been built in Scotland.
context_section_description: St Rule's tower is located in the cathedral grounds but predates it, having served as the church of the priory up to the early 12th century.  The building was retained to allow worship to continue uninterrupted during the building of its much larger successor.  Originally, the tower and adjoining choir were part of the church built in the 11th century to house the relics of St Andrew.  The nave, with twin western turrets, and the apse of the church no longer stand.  The church's original appearance is illustrated in stylised form on some of the early seals of the cathedral priory.  Legend credits St Rule (also known as St Regulus) with bringing relics of St Andrew to the area from their original location at Patras in Greece.  Today the tower commands an admirable view of the town, harbour, sea, and surrounding countryside.  Beautifully built in grey sandstone ashlar, and (for its date) immensely tall (33 m), it is a land- and sea-mark seen from many miles away, its prominence doubtless meant to guide pilgrims to the place of the Apostle's relics.  In the Middle Ages a spire atop the tower made it even more prominent.  The tower was originally ascended using ladders between wooden floors, but a stone spiral staircase was inserted in the 18th century.
caption: St Rule's tower
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