Description

1766. T-plan simple Gothic roofless ruined church with 1863 2-stage clock tower to E with lucarned stone spire and session house (roofed) to W. Sandstone rubble to original church with ashlar dressings, squared and snecked sandstone to tower and session house. Graveyard mainly 18th, 19th and 20th century monuments including those to Dr John Roebuck and Admiral Sir James Hope.

N ELEVATION: to left, tower with entrance at ground and angle buttresses to 1st stage. Simple pointed arch openings to N, E and S and oculi to all faces at 2nd stage. To right, slightly advanced single bay and advanced gabled wing with central aedicule protecting 1771 Ionic order monument to Sir William Maxwell of Carriden with pulvinated frieze. Above, biblical quote within carved stone frame. To far right, recessed single bay and recessed 2-bay wing of session house.

No roofing or glazing, except graded grey slates and some cast-iron brattishing to session house.

INTERIOR: ruinous.

GRAVEYARD: to N of church, small decorative Saracen Foundry cast-iron drinking fountain with dish. Monument to Admiral Sir James Hope, died 1881, has cast-iron anchor chain border. Monument to Dr Roebuck set within low stone wall with cast-iron railings. Some modest cast-iron headstones.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: to W, square gatepiers with pyramidal caps and cast-iron gates. Rubble wall with semicircular coping to N and cast-iron railings to S.

Statement of Interest

A modern cemetery lies to the east.

When the congregation for this church became too large Carriden Parish Church (see separate listing) immediately to the N was constructed in 1908-09 to provide extra seating. Peddie & Kinnear were commissioned to draw up plans in 1905-06 for the restoration of the old church, but these were not carried out. The old church was retained as a picturesque ruin.

Admiral Sir James Hope and Dr J Roebuck are buried in the graveyard. Hope owned Carriden House (see separate listing) and was responsible for many improvements to Carriden Estate including the creation of the model village of Muirhouses. Dr J Roebuck rented nearby Kinneil House (see separate listing) from the Hamiltons and was founder of the renowned Carron Iron Works.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17810536

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

• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)