St Andrew's R.C. Church, Auchendryne Square, Braemar, Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside, Aberdeenshire

Entry Name: St Andrew's R.C. Church, Auchendryne Square, Braemar

Listing Name: Braemar Village Auchendryne Square, St Andrews Roman Catholic Church, Presbytery, Boundary Wall Entrance Gates and Lamp Standard

Listing Date: 22 February 1991

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 337783

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB6251

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Braemar, Auchendryne Square, St Andrew's R.c. Church

ID on this website: 200337783

Location: Crathie and Braemar

County: Aberdeenshire

Electoral Ward: Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside

Parish: Crathie And Braemar

Traditional County: Aberdeenshire

Tagged with: Church building

Description

Dated 1839. 3-bay, rectangular plan Gothic church, with attached Presbytery, 1864. Squared and coursed granite rubble; base course, string course, gable bellcote and offset pinnacles to entrance elevation, buttresses, all openings single light lancet windows. 3-bay 2-storey granite presbytery.

CHURCH:

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: symmetrical gabled elevation with central advanced bay and angled clasping buttresses. Central 2-leaf timber entrance door. Above, central panel, with single window and date stone 'DEO 1839', rising over roof apex to gabled bellcote with bell in situ. Flanking windows now blind. Outer buttresses rising to pinnacles.

W ELEVATION: 5-bay, divided by buttresses.

E ELEVATION: mirror of W excepting small, low monopitch rendered addition to NW corner.

N ELEVATION: symmetrical with 3 lancet windows and clasping buttresses rising to pinnacles. Later harled gabled addition to right.

Windows all stained glass, predominantly depicting Scottish Saints (see notes). Grey slates, cast iron rainwater goods. Saw-tooth skews to N and S gables. Small brick stack midway up roof ridge to N gable.

INTERIOR: restrained but with decorative Catholic elements; mosaic floor depicting St Andrew in entrance vestibule. Tiled central aisle (now part covered). Timber dado with trefoil pattern. Timber pews with fleur-de-lys ends. Plaster rib vaulted ceiling with gilded bosses echoing fan vaulting. Organ gallery to S with openwork timber screen below forming separation from main part of nave. Altar with timber panelled reredos with painted and gilded panels depicting saints. Carved timber lectern. Timber font with gilding.

PRESBYTERY:

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: attached to church by low monopitched harled linking section. 3-bay, 2-storey with left bay canted to both storeys. Right bay piended dormer breaks eaves. Central entrance with 2-leaf, gable head window above breaking eaves with Latin cross at apex. Large gable stacks to W and E with thackstanes. Timber sash and case windows, 4-pane to S, 12-pane to N. Cast iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen (2005).

BOUNDARY WALLS, ENTRANCE GATES AND LAMP STAND: low rubble wall to W, S and E. Wrought iron decorative gates with pedestrian openings to left and right, octagonal standards stamped 'Harper and Co. Founders'. Lamp post with barley sugar standard.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building still in original use.

This church is an early example (pre-1840) of a Gothic Revival Catholic Church; historically Auchendryne had a significant post-reformation Catholic community. The building is built of traditional materials particular to the area and is substantially unaltered since construction. The current church replaced an older Catholic chapel on Chapel Brae (now Humanae Vitae House). The building was constructed under the patronage of Lady Carmarthen, who was married to 7th Duke of Leeds who rented Old Mar Lodge from the Earl of Fife; building work was instigated and overseen by the parish priest of the day Father Lovi. It was built at cost of £1126 and the stones came from a quarry within 50 feet of the building. The bell and organ were donated by Fr Lovi. The organ, by Willis', is still in situ and occasionally played.

The stained glass depicts Scottish saints, St Bride, St Machar, St Gregory, St Columba, St Ninian, and St Nathalan; windows also depicting Malcolm Canmore, David I, Kings of Scotland and Bishops Elphinstone and Chisholm of Aberdeen. The east window depicts St Andrew to the left, the Crucifixion in the centre and St Margaret to the right. The windows were gifted by one James Calder and made by Louis Grosse and Co of London and Bruges.

External Links

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