Description

Circa 1650. Rectangular-plan ruinous church, aligned EW; birdcage belfry to W gable, roof and E gablehead missing, 18th century addition to NE; squared and snecked yellow sandstone rubble.

S (SIDE) ELEVATION: lancet arch entrance off-centre right, bead moulded architrave inscribed: WITHOUT HOLINESS NO MAN??ETH THE LORD, half-height pillars to reveals, base, foliate capitals, cavetto hood mould with mask stops; blocked square-head doorway to right, lintel inscribed: ALMY VAIN THOWTS STAY YE HEER BECAWS MY GOD I DO DRAW NEER 1672; pedimented plaque to right in memorial to David Leighton, Coltness estate factor, 1815; upper courses ruinous.

N (SIDE) ELEVATION: advanced wing to right, 18th century addition, squared and tooled sandstone coursers, cornice, 2 architraved niches to right return; blank rubble nave wall to right.

E (GABLE) ELEVATION: later slapping with rubble in-fill; gable missing.

W (GABLE) ELEVATION: blank full-height gable wall; saw tooth coped skews; birdcage belfry, square fluted pillars, entablature, swept pyramidal caps, ball finials, pyramidal canopy with ball finial.

INTERIOR: full-length yellow sandstone gothic memorial to Houldsworth family set in E gable, 1853, 6-bay, trefoliated lancet arches, red sandstone cluster columns decorative carving to spandrels, inscribed entablature, recessed niches with marble inscribed panels.

Roof structure missing.

BOUNDARY WALL: low rubble wall, chamfered ashlar coping, square gate piers with jettied pyramidal caps. 19th century decorative cast-iron gate, railings removed.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building not in use. Condemned by William Burn, arch., of Edinburgh in 1837 on the instigation of Lord Belhaven to be replaced by a new parish church (see separate listing) now itself called Cambusnethan Old Parish Church. Used in 19th century as the Houldsworth family mausoleum. The church was itself a replacement of a mediaeval parish church at Carbarns.

Cemetery contains gravestones and monuments from 17th through to 19th century. Notably a cast-iron headstone of 1809.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17826394

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

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)