Description

John Honeyman, architect, 1878. Italianate Baroque
church with tower to NW and apsidal narthex to N gable.
Rectangular church with galleried interior and extensive
basements. 6-bay regular W front with advanced taller
outside bays (that to N rising to tower).
Polished cream sandstone, all stonecleaned. Rough
rusticated to basement, channelled to ground.
W ELEVATION: entrance to SW round-arched, keystoned with
vermiculated rusticated surrounds. Recessed double-leaf
panelled doors. Basement windows depressed arch with
keystone. Square-headed to ground with bold voussoirs.
Main windows (to gallery) tall round-arched with
pilastered reveals and moulded archivolts, margin-pane
glazing.
Outer bays channelled to 1st, pedimented niches with
statues. To inner bays pilasters divide bays with
engaged Corinthian columns which support impost block.
Richly moulded eaves band with dentil course, deep
mutuled cornice. Balustraded parapet with statues.
Piended slate roofs. To SW angle taller end bay
balancing tower, solid tall parapet with advanced angles
rising to urn finials. Tower rises for 2 stages above
eaves, pilastered 1st stage with niches, cornice over.
Top stage pilastered tempietto with urns at base angles.
Octagonal dome with diminutive lantern rising to cross
finial.
N ELEVATION: full-height apsidal 3-light narthex with
pilastered windows.
E ELEVATION: squared rubble with 5 arched lights.
INTERIOR: richly finished interior, U-plan galleries to 3
sides supported on slender cast-iron columns, gallery
front panelled, stencilled and partly gilded. To S,
elaborate carved raised pulpit on raised dais with
magnificent organ with partly stencilled pipes behind. To
S gable large 3-light stained glass window. All original
pews and church furniture. Elaborate ceiling with plaster
beams cornicing, and roses. To N apsidal narthex
separated from body of church by acid etched glazed
=screen. Elaborate Corinthian screen to ground, curved
forestair. Ground floor windows architraved with
perron stair gives access to galleries.
BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: to Cathedral Square
elevation low coped polished ashlar wall supports good
decorative cast-iron railings. Further to N solid ashlar
wall with pedimented gateway gives access to main
entrance at apsidal narthex.
14 CATHEDRAL SQUARE, CHURCH HOUSE: 2-storey house on
raised basement, polished ashlar upper floors, rusticated
to ground. Wedge-shaped plan, regular 3-bay front to
Cathedral Square with entrance to S flank via curved
cornices, 1st floor with small square attic windows. All
sash and case with 4-pane glazing.
Moulded band courses over basement and at 1st cills,
eaves cornice, piended slate roofs. Rubble rear
elevation.

Statement of Interest

Part of Cathedral Square A group. Ecclesiastical building in

use as such. Original decoration scheme for interior Peter

Darroch and Co, described in JDA, Vol vii, supplement

(Oct 1887).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17567376

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

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)