Description

1890. Symmetrical, rectangular-plan plain Gothic style church with 'nave-and-aisles' gable facing NE; 5 bay sides; later additions at rear. Squared and snecked tooled red sandstone; red ashlar dressings. Raised plinth; stepped, architraved string course to gable front; polished quoins; polished long and short surrounds to chamfered openings; stone mullions to square-headed bipartites; chamfered cills. Harl-pointed random rubble sandstone at sides and rear; tooled red rubble quoins; tooled long and short surrounds to pointed-arched openings. Harled additions at rear; red sandstone dressings.

NE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: steps to 2-leaf timber panelled door centred at ground; polished, roll-moulded detailing to chamfered reveals; flanking bipartite windows. Raised surround to geometric-traceried rose window centred in pointed-arched, panelled recess at 2nd stage; moulded stops to architraved hoodmould; pointed-arched, tripartite louvred opening centred beneath apex above; sculpted finial. Flanking gableted buttresses to gable end; lozenge-shaped openings with pointed ends in recessed bays to outer left and right.

SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: gableted, finialed belfry with pointed-arched hoodmould surmounting wallhead to outer right (bell in situ); regularly fenestrated in remaining 5 bays advanced to left; later single storey harled additions beyond.

NW (SIDE) ELEVATION: steps to timber panelled door at ground in bay to outer left; regularly fenestrated in remaining 5 bays advanced to right; later harled additions beyond.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: pointed-arched tripartite window centred in gable front; square-head louvred opening beneath apex above; piended and pitched additions advanced to front.

Predominantly stained and leaded glazing; various skylights to rear additions. Graded grey slate roofs; raised stone skews; gableted skewputts; replacement rainwater goods. Coped red sandstone apex stack to SW; circular cans.

INTERIOR: boarded timber dado panelling to vestibule; plain cornice. Nave comprising boarded timber dado panelling; timber pews; timber panelled doors; blind, panelled balustrading to NE gallery beneath rose window. Decorative foliate capitals to regularly disposed columns running NE-SW; timber panelled pulpit; octagonal baptismal font; timber lecturn. Plain plaster cornices; painted hoodmoulds with moulded stops to NE openings. Boarded timber pitched roof to later hall at rear.

BOUNDARY WALL AND GATEPIERS: polished coping to harl-pointed rubble wall to street; square-plan, stop-chamfered, slightly droved gatepiers comprising plinths, quatrefoil details set in circular panels in each facet, tapering caps. Wrought-iron gates; replacement wrought-iron railings.

Statement of Interest

Built to replace an existing church to the rear of the site (marked on the 1863 Ordnance Survey map as the Free Church). Despite its simplicity, this later church dominates the sea-front stretch of Kilchattan Bay. Though sparse, its details are of notable quality - particularly the gableted belfry, chamfered reveals, rose window and stop-chamfered gatepiers. The interior too retains interest with the majority of its original fittings in place.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77770601

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)