Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Dundonald Road, Kilmarnock, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire

Description

James Wallace, 1857. Chancel, Sir George Gilbert Scott, 1876, builder James Wallace. Hall and porch, 1895, James Wallace, architect / builder. Further 1965 / 66 flat-roofed extension to rear. First Pointed Gothic 4-bay nave with later chancel and hall. Snecked rubble with ashlar dressings. Canted drip-sills, hoodmoulds and base course.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: advanced tower base to left adjoining sanctuary to rear: single stage, squared diagonal buttresses to angles, arched 2-light window within heavy moulded surround, blind to left and right returns. Nave to right: 3 lancet lights with stepped buttresses between; enclosed stone porch to 4th bay: stepped angle buttresses, deep moulded arched door surround with quatrefoil light to gable; inner porch with stone side benches; heavily moulded inner door surround. Lower later gable to right: heavily moulded arched door surround, single windows to flanks, cinquefoil window to gable. Projecting hall to extreme right: gable with sloped base and sill course leading to 3-light arched window, hoodmould with ornate label stops, rounded moulded light to gablehead; 3 arched lights to right return.

E ELEVATION: gable with stepped angle buttresses terminating in gablets, heavy base course, sloped drip moulded sill leading to stepped sill course, 5-light arched window with columned moulded surround, 3 trefoil lights to upper round window; quatrefoil light to gable, Celtic cross at apex of gable. Recessed squared tower base to right (see N elevation).

S (REAR) ELEVATION: tall gable of hall to left: 3 regularly placed arched lights, central light taller. Rear gable of entrance vestibule to right with later square window. Later 20th century flat-roofed extension concealing lower elevation of both gables: door with 2 windows to right behind hall entrance; bipartite window, central door and further window to rear of hall entrance. To far right: pair of high lancet windows to nave of church. Pair of 2-light windows to chancel with stepped hoodmoulds, sill-course and buttress between.

W ELEVATION: 3-light arched window to gable of nave, stone cross to gablehead. 3 regular arched bays to hall.

Stained glass (see Interior). Piended grey slate roof with 3 bands of decorative fish-scale slating to chancel, nave and entrance porch. Plain grey slates to later piended hall and vestibule, pyramidal slate roof to tower stump. Lead ridging, flashing and valleys. Cast-iron rainwater goods with squared hoppers. Stone crosses to apex of gables, large Celtic cross to gable of Chancel.

INTERIOR: Gilbert Scott Chancel / Sanctuary: Pre-Raphaelite oil on plaster murals (a memorial to Thomas Houldsworth of Farnsworth) executed by Burlison and Grylls of London; designer unknown. Wagon roof with coffered panels. North ceiling depicts 12 prophets with text scrolls. Palm and orange tree bands forming canopy. South ceiling depicts 12 apostles and creeds. Mosaic flooring (Powell and Sons, London): Pompeiian pattern, ripe wheat and grapes symbolic of bread and wine of the Eucharist. Gothic timber reredos and panelling (1932, memorial to Revd. Cannon Blood, Rector 1889 - 1926.) Mostly pictorial stained glass, including sanctuary: 5-light east window (memorial to Patrick Boyle of Shewalton, Chairman of the Building Committee) depicts Crucifixion, Resurrection to Glorification, side lights representing Nativity, Baptism, Last Supper, Pentecost. S wall of Nave: middle window depicting St George, end window depicts life as a pilgrimage. W wall: memorial window to members of the Vernan family of Auchans, upper lights depict St George and St Andrew either side of Angelus Pacis (angel of Peace). Ornate brass eagle lectern and marble and stone font. Pipe organ (1876, Hill & Sons, London): elaborately decorated pipes and fretwork screening, refurbished 1939 by Hill, Norman & Beard. Inner porch (1923, built as war memorial): square, timber porch with square quarried glazing. Many later adornments to the nave including fretwork panel of the Lord's Prayer and crocheted Last Supper panel (1995). Stone flagged floor to nave, 13 paired Gothic timber bench pews. Open timber roof trusses forming ceiling, ornate scissor-brace truss to W gable. Low hanging lights. Functional hall with open timber beamed roof held on wall corbels.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: coursed ashlar walls, semi-circular coping. Pair of squared ashlar gatepiers with stepped pyramid caps. Later plain wrought-iron gates.

MILESTONE: tall squared sandstone milestone with carved letters and numerics, later feather-edged cap stone. SE side: arrow to SW, Dundonald 5, Troon 9 ?, other 3 sides eroded.

Statement of Interest

Part of an A-Group with the Parsonage, Winton Place E.U. Church and 3 & 5 Dundonald Road. The Irish famine of 1845-9 led to the emigration of many Irish people to the west of Scotland. A large number found their way to Kilmarnock, amongst them Protestants from the Church of Ireland, which is in full Communion with the Scottish Episcopal Church. Bishop Trower of Glasgow established a mission in 1851 but the hired site soon proved unsuitable. A building committee was set up and funds and a site agreed. The nave of the church was built, with a parsonage (listed separately) 2 years later. Both buildings were executed by local architects, James Wallace and James Ingram. Sir George Gilbert Scott was entrusted with the decoration. A tower was to have been built on the corner of the building, but this never reached fruition. The Dean of Guild Drawings holds plans from 1895 by James Wallace (of 26 Fore Street, Kilmarnock) the architect of the original church. These plans are for the addition of a church hall and vestry standing on Portland Road, both of which are still there today. The hall/vestry and the pair of villas adjacent were built over the site of the Duke of Portland's original tramline, the terminus of which was near the nave. This church, with outstanding interior work by leading architect, Gilbert Scott, is sited on a prominent corner within the town centre. This group of buildings remains a good example of mid to late 19th century ecclesiastical buildings.

External Links

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