Graveyard And Boundary Walls, Caddonfoot Church, Caddonfoot, Scottish Borders

Description

David Rhind, 1861, extended by same architect, 1875; further additions and alterations. Gothic-detailed, rectangular-plan church with gabled porch and later lean-to addition to SW; lower, polygonal apse to SE; gabled sandstone belfry to NW; gabled porch to NE; flat roofed WC block in rear re-entrant angle. Squared and snecked polished whinstone; red sandstone ashlar dressings; coursed render to

rear addition. Raised base course; dentilled eaves; buttressed angles throughout (gabletted with gabletted pinnacles to nave).

Stugged quoins; stugged long and short surrounds to pointed-arched, chamfered openings (lightly droved in part); sandstone mullions; chamfered cills.

SW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 4-bay nave. Projecting, gabled porch in bay to outer right with steps to 2-leaf boarded timber door; decorative iron hinges; chamfered surround with pointed-arched hoodmould, foliate label stops; carved plaque with Latin inscription centred in gablehead; 3-light glazing row in later lean-to addition slightly recessed to left? Large, Y-traceried windows in remaining 2 bays recessed to outer left. Lower, 5-sided apse slightly recessed to outer right with plate-traceried windows centred in bays to SW and S.

NW (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2-bay. Large, Y-traceried windows in both bays at ground; circular window CENTRED IN GABELHEAD

bell and bell rope in place. Shouldered-arched window in lean-to porch addition recessed to outer right. Boarded timber door in flat-roofed addition slightly recessed to outer left.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: 4-bay nave. Square-headed window in gabled, L-plan porch in bay off-set to right of centre; large, Y traceried windows in remaining 2 bays recessed to left. Square headed windows in 2-bay, flat-roofed addition slightly recessed to outer right. Lower, 5-sided apse slightly recessed to outer left with plate-traceried windows centred in bays to NE and E.

SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: polygonal apse with plate-traceried windows to E, SE and S; nave set behind with finialled gablehead. Shouldered-arched window in gabled porch recessed to outer left. Boarded timber door with decorative iron hinges in gabled porch recessed to outer right.

Predominantly diamond-paned, plain leaded glazing (some secondary outer glazing); decorative stained glass windows to NW (Herbert Hendrie); modern windows to flat-roofed block and rear porch; small rooflights. Grey slate roofs; stone-coped skews; iron rainwater goods. Coped sandstone wallhead stack at rear; cans missing.

INTERIOR: porch with original entrance to nave blocked to form boarded timber recess; part-glazed, pointed-arch timber panelled door accessing later porch addition with deep chamfered door reveals, open timber roof, painted walls. Nave comprising boarded timber dado (panelled in part), painted walls, boarded timber floor, timber pews. Barrel vaulted timber ceiling with architraved rafters, regularly spaced carved bosses, gridded vents, billeted timber frieze at

wallhead with naturalistic carving. Large, round-arched opening dividing nave and apse with engaged pilasters and columns beneath architraved arch. 5 sided apse with regularly-spaced windows, continuous frieze with decorative motifs, open timber ceiling with sandstone springers supporting timber trusses. Raised altar to NW with large timber panelled sounding board centred between windows; carved communion table; timber font; timber lectern; carved, polygonal pulpit. Wall-mounted organ in carved timber case. Plain vestry and rear porch to NE.

GRAVEYARD: irregular-plan graveyard with various gravestones, including large, decorative sandstone crucifix. War memorial to E.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATES: rubble-coped rubble walls enclosing site in part. Hooped iron railings flanking entrance; ball finialled gatepiers; 2-leaf iron gates.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Erected in 1861 "...in fulfilment of the desire of ... Alexander Pringle of Whytbank", Caddonfoot Church was built for those residing "...in the distant parts of the parishes of Selkirk, Galasiells, Stow, Innerleithen & Yarrow"

(see plaque in porch). A plan, also displayed in the porch, dated 1874 and certified the following year, shows the proposed addition of the polygonal apse, in order "...to have a portion of the church set apart as free sittings". Although this addition was definitely the work of David Rhind (note the architect's Edinburgh address on the plan), it is not clear that he was responsible for the later extension of the porch, the subsequent blocking of the original doorway and the re arrangement of the pews. Well-detailed throughout, Caddonfoot Church remains both a good example of its type and a good example of the work of its architect. See separate list entry for War Memorial set in graveyard (designed by Sir Robert Lorimer).

External Links

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