Description

James Dempster, 1826-7, bombed 1941, ruin preserved as monument in 1954. Gothic tower with flanking buttressed bays; wall to cill level delineating original rectangular plan of church. Ashlar-faced with ashlar margins and dressings; battered base course.

NW ELEVATION AND TOWER: 2-stage tower with crenellated parapet; angle buttresses, spikey pinnacles with crocketted finials. Main elevation, pointed arch, 3-light, plate traceried windows symmetrically disposed at each stage; string course. Moulded pointed arch door on right return, now blocked, possibly later hoodmould with red sandstone carved mask labelstops; plaque with floreate boss above; window at upper stage (detailed as above). Symmetrical flanking bays each with hoodmoulded lancet and ashlar parapet to skews. Low square-plan block in re-entrant angle to left, former boiler.

SW AND NE ELEVATIONS: original wall partially carried around, remains of chamfered window surround, part of hoodmould. 1954 wall carried to cill level mirroring the original walls.

SE (INNER) ELEVATION: rubble inner wall of tower, door at ground, partially blocked; 3-centred pointed window blocked at upper level.

GATES, GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALL: gabletted ashlar gatepiers with recessed panels, arrowhead cast-iron gates, wrought-iron overthrow with lantern. Squared sandstone rubble wall with some harl pointing and later cement pointing.

GRAVEYARD AND MONUMENTS: number of interesting 17th, 18th and 19th century grave monuments.

BURIAL ENCLOSURES: pair of early 19th century rectangular-plan identical burial enclosures side by side against NW wall; ashlar; base course; sandstone eaves course; crenellated coped parapets; red sandstone pediment armorial plaque at centre, door at centre, flanking ashlar oval plaques.

ENCLOSURE TO LEFT: "Charles Johnston 1827" inscribed in right oval; blank left plaque. Boarded door, modern galvanised roof; gunloops.

ENCLOSURE TO RIGHT: roofless; doorless. Lintel of door with faded inscription; flanking blank ovals. Table monument to John Innes inside.

ENCLOSURE IN CORNER: pink sandstone gothic wall monument to Burn family in NE corner. Trefoil-headed blind arcade along 2 sides with low plinth wall and railings enclosing to right, railings to front removed. Arcade carried on colonettes, terminated by sawtooth, gabletted pier buttresses; B inscribed in gablet. Engraved pink granite panels in centre arches of back wall; armorial plaque above right hand arch; Grey granite Greek cross discs in squinches.

Along W boundary wall are a number of early 17th and 18th century remains of monuments.

Statement of Interest

The church was built in 1826 to replace the first church of 1643-44: it bears similarities with William Burn's 'spiky gothic' designs of the 1820s. The church was bombed in 1941, and in 1954 the side walls were consolidated to cill level, and interior raised to form a lawn. The present parish church is listed separately. Scheduled 31 January 1998.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17774426

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

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)