Description

1847. 2-storey, 3-bay gable-ended hall church with slightly advance central bay and single storey 2-bay hall to rear; central columnar traceried window; shouldered, square-plan buttresses dividing bays; finialled, pinnacle, square-plan bellcotes to buttresses flanking central bay; similar, arcaded gablehead bellcote with blind oculus to corbelled base. Polished sandstone ashlar with polished ashlar dressings. Base course; cill course to flanking windows, continuous as hoodmould over door; hood moulds over windows (brackets to flanking windows); brackets and cope to eaves course. Round-arched openings; columnar mullions to central traceried window; aproned cills; single nook shafts to doorway.

SW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: stone flight of steps to central moulded doorway; 2-leaf timber-panelled door; timber-panelled infilled fanlight; 4-light window below gablehead bellcote; tall window in each bay flanking.

SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: 7-bay: square-headed window in each bay at ground (timber panelled 2-leaf door with blocked, dated '1847' fanlight in opening to outer left); divided round-arched window with central circular light in each bay at 1st floor.

NW (SIDE) ELEVATION: 7-bay, identical to SE; timber-panelled door with rectangular fanlight at ground in bay to outer right.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: 2-leaf boarded door with small-pane fanlight in bay to right with window in bay to left to NW elevation of single storey hall in bay to centre; 2 evenly disposed 3-light windows with central circular light; blind round-arched opening to gablehead above.

Leaded, stained glass windows; 12-pane timber sash and case windows to hall. Grey slate roof; stone ridge; stone skews; cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: MAIN CHURCH: encaustic-tiled vestibule with twin dog-leg stone staircases to gallery; cast-iron balusters with timber handrails; cast-iron columnar supports to U-plan timber gallery with carved blind arcade; timber pews; central timber-panelled organ case against NE wall; square-plan piers supporting triple lamp standard and decorative cast-iron balusters flanking steps to carved timber pulpit, (1871) and chair; organ behind; fielded ceiling with pierced circular ventilators. HALL: timber skirting boards and architraves; timber-panelled shutters and doors; cornice extant; fitted timber cupboards with uniting mutule cornice.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: squared rubble stepped wall with ridges ashlar cope; decorative cast-iron railings; similar gates with finialled spanning semi-circular arch.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such, 1998. A huge church, described as a 'preaching barn', (Burgher), the East Church, or Paterson Church as it was named after its minister from 1820 to 1870, is capable of accommodating a thousand people. W E Gladstone and Alfred Tennyson were given the freedom of the burgh in this church on September 12th 1883.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17827917

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

• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)