After leaving Dundee, Karl rode his bike up the east coast of Scotland, at which point he had cycled 11,915 miles and walked 1,400 miles.
In his letter to the newspaper published on June 25, 1901, he writes: “along a good road for nineteen miles, and Arbroath is reached, which contains the extensive ruins of a Tyronensian Abbey founded by William the Lion and dedicated to Thomas Becket in 1178. The Catherine wheel window is the only entire portion of the old Abbey of Aberbrothock, all the rest having gone to ruin. The “Bell Rock” twelve miles southeast of Arbroath can be seen on a clear day. This rock took its name from a bell, which was suspended on it by the Abbot of Arbroath, as a warning to mariners. The rock now has a lighthouse on it, 115 feet high.”
William I, or William the Lion, was the King of Scots from 1165 to 1214. In 1178 he was responsible for the development of the monastery Arbroath Abbey, a memorial to William’s childhood friend Thomas Becket, the murdered Archbishop of Canterbury. The abbey property also further established the King’s authority in this part of Scotland, and he was buried here after his death.
The abbey was in ruins when Karl visited in 1901, and today, guess what, dear reader? It is still in ruins!
Unlike other historical ruins in Scotland, Arbroath Abbey didn’t feel like a popular tourist spot. I felt like I was merely wandering around a small town that just happened to have this old building at its centre. I was curious whether the Catherine-wheel was still intact and pleased to confirm that it was. And because I know you are wondering, let me tell you…
Initially, the Catherine-wheel was a medieval torture device. It was known as the “breaking wheel”, whereby a person was spread out over the diameter of a large wagon wheel and beaten. Once dead, any parts of the body that did not pass through the wheel's spokes remained on display for a few days. Saint Catherine of Alexandria was to be executed on the wheel when she refused to denounce her faith. It’s said when she touched the wheel, it broke and instead, she was beheaded. The device then became known as the Catherine-wheel.
In the UK, the term Catherine-wheel may refer to pinwheel fireworks, black liquorice lace wrapped around a coloured jelly sweet or large round medieval windows found in churches, cathedrals and abbeys. The latter is what was referenced by Karl. These windows are typically filled with radiating stained glass, also known as rose windows or wheel windows.
After walking around Arbroath Abbey, I also wandered to see the world's oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse, as referenced by Karl. Then, I went to the sweet shop for some liquorice Catherine-wheels.
In case you’ve missed them, click here for more Karl Chronicles
The Karl Journey is now registered as an official expedition with the Royal Geographical Society