Description

William Dow, 1902; altered 1905 by William Williamson, and 1975. Large classical galleried church with giant order pilasters and bellcote; 4-bay aisled nave and single bay vestry. Red sandstone ashlar with coursed rubble to rear, red sandstone quoins and dressings. Base, cill and string courses with plain frieze and eaves cornice and deep, stepped blocking course. Some round-headed openings above ground, pedimented doorcases; architraved surrounds, chamfered reveals and stone transoms and mullions.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: portico to centre bay with steps up to 4-leaf panelled timber door with carved and moulded pediment in doorcase (also pedimented) with flanking Doric columns; 6-part, round-headed transomed window above. Centre bay flanked by pilasters below Ionic columns, and bipartite windows with decorated frieze and balustrade below corniced gallery windows and glazed oculi with laurel-leaf detail; giant order pilasters to outer angles, the whole supporting entablature and pediment. Flanking porches each with steps and dwarf walls leading to 2-leaf panelled timber door in broken pedimented doorcase with further segmental moulding over; corniced tripartite window above with cavetto cill course.

E (VICTORIA GARDENS) ELEVATION: raised basement (church hall) with door to right and 5 windows to left, 6 windows with moulded aprons and heads to 1st stage and 3 round-headed windows (as above) with dividing pilasters to gallery; stepped blocking course above; polygonal bellcote on lead? plinth with balustrade below open columned stage, cavetto cornice and finialled dome to right at roof ridge. Advanced bay to outer right on ground falling steeply to left; small window to 1st stage with pediment incorporated into string course; round-headed window and full-width pediment. Slightly advanced bay to left with pedimented door in moulded segmental surround and small window above. Further advanced, pedimented, lower bay to outer left (1905 extension) with small window to basement and corniced window above.

W ELEVATION: as E elevation but bay to right recessed with window to and lower piended bay (extension) with bipartite window beyond.

S ELEVATION: broad gabled bay and lower, slightly advanced gable of original chancel with glazed oculus at centre; further advanced, pitch-roof of lower extension with dominant corbelled chimney breast to centre above ground rising to wallhead stack, narrow bipartite windows in flanking bays and further small window to outer right.

Leaded, multi-pane glazing with some coloured panes and margins. Grey slates. Cavetto-coped ashlar stack and ashlar-coped skews. Decorative cast-iron weathervane.

INTERIOR: fine, fully fitted interior. Narthex with mosaic floor and fine pedimented doorways with 2-leaf part-glazed, panelled timber screen doors; bronze memorial to both World Wars; stone staircases with decorative cast-iron balusters and timber handrails. Nave with original fixed timber pews and polygonal columns supporting gallery with moulded arcade springing from part-fluted, Ionic columns; panelled, rounded gallery fronts and decorative timber roof with cast-iron air vents. Raised chancel area with communion table fronting pedimented pulpit with carved backboards and flanking steps. Raised centre tripartite chancel-arch with organ pipes blocking original chancel with round window beyond. Boarded timber dadoes. Full-size basement houses halls, vestry and session room.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Built of Dumfries sandstone, St Andrew's was opened in 1903 as the Victoria Road United Free Church, an extension of St Brycedale's. When the congregation combined with Dunnikier Free Church in 1972 it became St Andrew's. The interior woodwork was donated by A H McIntosh the local furniture manufacturer. Described by Gifford as "more like a town hall than a church." Dow also designed Kirkcaldy's Salvation Army Hall (St Clair Street) and Clydesdale Bank (212-216 High Street).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17808189

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)