Description

William Scott, dated 1848, incorporating an earlier burial vault. T-plan, simple gothic church. Stugged snecked rubble sandstone with margined ashlar dressings, grey slate roof. Pointed windows with hoodmoulds and label stops, geometric tracery at S, wheel window with moulded architrave at E and W gable; pointed arch doorways with chamfered reveals; diagonal buttresses; moulded saddleback-coped skews with skewputts, cruciform finials at N and E gables.

W ELEVATION: gabled porch at advanced right gable with 2-leaf door, inscribed shield, diagonal buttresses, window at left and right returns, fleur-de-lys finial; window above, corbelled octagonal birdcage bellcote at apex with pointed-arch openings, gablets and pinnacled roof, chain and bell-pull to bell; square-plan stair tower with door at left re-entrant angle, window at left return; recessed bay at far left with door and heraldic panel above dated 1642 (no 4 missing).

N GABLE: stepped 3-light window at centre, heraldic shields and inscriptions ?TF? and ?MG? at left and right.

E ELEVATION: similar to W elevation but with angle stack at re-entrant bay and no bellcote.

S ELEVATION: inscribed date panel at centre, 2 windows at left and right.

INTERIOR: fine panelled pulpit at S wall flanked by 2 flights of stairs with turned balusters, ornate octagonal tester with crown spire and crocketted finials; pews probably original, 2 box pews flanking pulpit; stained glass windows at S, E and W probably by C and L Ower, 1880s; simple coombed and ribbed ceiling; carved screen in N aisle with stained glass depicting McGavin of Ballumbie family arms; moulded stone panel with 8 family arms and names on E wall; panelled gallery with small organ.

Statement of Interest

The church is an ecclesiastical building in use as such, occupying the site of an earlier probably pre-Reformation building, the parish having been the gift of Gilchrist, Earl of Angus to the Abbey of Arbroath in 1211-14. There was also a chapel in the den near Ballumbie Castle which by circa 1590 seems to have been amalgamated with Murroes church; according to Warden, the site of the chapel was still ?shown? in 1885. Jougs which were formerly attached to the outside of the building are now stored within the church. The inscription over the east door reads ?Ora et Labora? (Pray and Labour), and over the west door ?Laus Et Honor Deo? (Praise and Honour be to God). The initials ?TF? and ?MG? on the north gable refer to Thomas Fothringham and Margaret Gibson his wife. The inscription on the dated panel on the south wall reads (in Latin) ?This church was consecrated to Christ, the Light of the World, and the author of human salvation, in the year of Our Lord, 1848?. Robert Edward, minister of Murroes during the second half of the 17th century wrote (in Latin) A DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY OF ANGUS (1678), including a map, reprinted in Warden, op.cit (1881), vol II. One of Edward?s sons was the architect Alexander Edward, see John Lowrey, ALEXANDER EDWARD: CLERGYMAN, ARCHITECT, JACOBITE, Crawford Centre,

St Andrews, 1987.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17770429

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.

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