Description

Alexander Hinshelwood, 1874. Gothic, gabled rectangular-plan church; square 3-stage belltower to NE corner with stone spire. Squared yellow sandstone coursers with ashlar margins. Set-back gabletted buttresses with sawtooth coping, hooded pointed-arch windows with chamfered reveals.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: pointed-arch timber panelled door to centre, timber arch head with carved multifoil; label-stopped hood mould, double-chamfered reveal supported on red sandstone columns with stiff-leaf capitals. Flanking small cusped lancet windows; large tripartite window above with geometric tracery and stone mullions, multifoil to apex; chevron corbel table at eaves. TOWER: 3-stage; plaque to centre of 1st stage with continuous hoodmould, elongated 2nd stage with lance, wallhead battered; octagonal splay-foot spire, gabled lucarnes to belfry, spire banded with lozenge moulding, stone cap with cast-iron decorative finial.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: squared and snecked rubble; 2 tall lancets to ground; oculus to gablehead.

SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: 5-bay, regularly fenestrated tall lancets with continuous cill course and hoodmould; except to outer bay to right, short lancet above square door; Lombard frieze to eaves course.

NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: mirror of SW, except tower to outer bay to left.

Leaded glass with border glazing, stained glass to chancel. Alternate bands of grey rectangular and fishscale slates, lead flashing with 3 lead vents, coped stone skews and gablet skewputts; coped stack to rear gable.

INTERIOR: galleried interior, narthex with flanking stairs to gallery. Boarded dado. Timber pews. Cast-iron columns supporting panelled gallery. Communion table in front of ornately carved timber pulpit with stair access and timber gothic panelled organ and case behind.

CHURCH HALL: Malcolm Ross, 1903. L-plan addition abutting church to SW corner. Advanced gabled wing to left; stepped rectangular tripartite window to centre with stone mullions and transom, hoodmould; inscribed panel to gablehead; CUFC HALL, regular fenestration to returns; smaller wing connecting to church to right, 2 dormers breaking eaves with shouldered pediments and cast-iron finials, ground floor obscured by modern addition. Rear obscured by modern addition. Grey slates, coped skews.

BOUNDARY: small squared sandstone wall with saddleback coping and modern railings.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building still in use as such. Completed in 1876 but in use by 1872 as Chalmers United Presbyterian Church. Named after Dr. Thomas Charmers who led the walkout of the Church Assembly that led to the Disruption. "Designed and supervised throughout by Alexander Hinshelwood... reflects much credit on his taste and thorough practical ability....exterior in a plain style of ordinary church gothic" (Story of a Church, p14). Interior fitted by Dobbie of Edinburgh. Very much a local effort with the congregation having taken much pride in raising the funds and carrying out most of the building work themselves.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77774482

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.

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