Description

Opened 1892; renovated 1947. Symmetrical plain Norman church comprising 3- by 6-bay, rectangular-plan nave with 3-stage, square-plan tower centred at front; lean-to projections flanking at ground; gabled, single storey vestry adjoined at rear. Coursed, lightly bull-faced red sandstone (Swinton quarry); sandstone ashlar dressings. Stepped base course; moulded eaves course; corbelled parapet to tower. Ashlar quoins; long and short surrounds to chamfered, round-arched openings; chamfered cills.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 3-stage tower projecting at centre with deep-set, 2-leaf, boarded timber door at ground; decorative iron hinges; roll-moulded surround; surmounting hoodmould with block label stops; small oculus aligned above; 2 louvred belfry windows at upper floor with clock face centred beneath parapet. Single windows in single storey, lean-to additions flanking tower; taller nave set behind.

N (SIDE) ELEVATION: regularly fenestrated nave. Tower recessed to outer left with single window in lean-to projection at ground to front; 2 louvred belfry windows centred at upper floor. Single window in gabled vestry recessed to outer right.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: single window in gabled vestry projecting at ground. Rose window centred in nave behind.

S (SIDE) ELEVATION: regularly fenestrated nave. Tower recessed to right with single window in lean-to projection at ground to front; basement opening off-set to left below; 2 louvred belfry windows centred at upper floor. Gabled vestry recessed to outer left with boarded timber door in bay to right; letterbox fanlight; single window to left.

Predominantly border-glazed, diagonally-leaded windows; some decorative stained glass; small rooflights. Red tile roofs with decorative ridging; shallow pyramidal cap to tower with surmounting wind vane. Stone-coped skews; gabletted skewputts with moulded brackets. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: plain. Vestibule with segmental-arched, timber panelled doors to N and S accessing nave. Designed to seat 390. Pitched pine woodwork. Open timber hammerbeam roof (sandstone springers); boarded timber floor; boarded timber dado; timber pews. Panelled pulpit centred in W wall with flanking stairs. Timber communion table, chairs and font. Various wall memorials. Pair of decorative brass oil lamp holders at rear.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: coped rubble walls partially enclosing site; plain iron railings enclosing remainder. Later quadrant walls flanking entrance; pyramidal-capped, square-plan gatepiers; gates missing.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Originally St Abbs Free Church. A prominently sited church, funded and built on land gifted by Andrew Usher of the nearby Northfield House (see separate list entry, 'St Abbs, Northfield House'). The bell in the tower is inscribed 'Erected along with the church of St Abbs by Andrew Usher of Northfield A.D. 1891. John Wilson & Co, Founders, Glasgow.' The clock was installed in 1956.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77776155

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

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)