Leckie Memorial Church, Eastgate, Peebles, Peebles, Scottish Borders

Description

Peddie and Kinnear, 1875 - 1877; interior remodelled circa 1977. 14th century Gothic, rectangular-plan church with broach spire at SW angle, semi-circular apse and single storey hall adjoined to N. Coursed whinstone with tooled yellow ashlar long and short quoins, tabbed pointed-arch windows with moulded and polished transoms and mullions. Terraced steps with small wing walls leading to Tweed Green.

S (TWEED GREEN) ELEVATION: gabled elevation with slightly advanced entrance porch, 3 colonnettes flank timber boarded door (with decorative iron hinges) and support moulded, arched surround; bipartite pointed-arch windows to flanks of porch. Band course stepped above porch to provided sill course for 4-light upper window (columns with decorative moulded imposts to outer and centre of bay support moulded window head), round window to apex of main window with 3 round lights, all contained within ashlar surround. To gable head, further band course with 3-light ventilator above; stone cross surmounting apex. Adjoining to left of elevation, 3-stage tower with angle buttresses and broach spire: to 1st and 2nd stages, 2-light arched window to 1?-storey of S and N elevations, tripartite window to W and adjoining main church to E. To all elevations of 3rd stage, 4 louvred ventilation lights contained within bipartite pointed-arch windows with round lights to apex, clasping buttresses flanking. Broach spire rising above with 2-light gablet projecting to each elevation; band course to ? height of spire with cross finial (with further roundel) surmounting.

E ELEVATION: five 2-light arched bays with round upper lights and drip sills with sill course, band course to upper of elevation linking all windows and forming integral hoodmoulds, stepped buttress dividing windows; section of blind wall to left of elevation (aligned with main entrance). Former bases of 2 ventilators still visible to roofline.

N (EASTGATE) ELEVATION: blind gable with 3-light ventilator to gablehead. Shorter semi-circular apse adjoining to centre with 4 arched lights placed high in elevation, band course linking all windows and forming integral hoodmoulds; single storey link from church to hall to ground floor left and gabled boiler-house extension to right, also linking to hall.

W ELEVATION: broach spire tower (see S ELEVATION) adjoining to right angle. To centre and left of elevation, five 2-light arched bays with round upper lights and drip sills with sill course, band course to upper of elevation linking all windows and forming integral hoodmoulds, stepped buttress dividing windows.

Arched leaded windows of mainly diamond quarry, some opaque glass; decorative coloured leaded lights to apse. Pitched and graded grey slate roof to main body of church, slightly overlapping skews; semi-conical grey slate roof to apse. Pitched and piended grey slate roof to hall, wrought-iron decorative finial to S apex; some roof lights to rear elevation. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative hoppers.

INTERIOR: renovations (circa 1977) including ground floor carpeted with stacking chairs replacing pews. Allan computer organ replaced the pipe organ and removal of screen supported it, allowing apse to be opened and incorporated into main body of the church. Large cross (made from Kauri pine from a St Andrew's Church pew) hung in the apse, above a large tapestry. Pulpit and font from St Andrew's Church. Vestibule renovated and sanctuary rearranged (circa 1977).

HALL:

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: single storey, 6-bay: entrance door to 4th bay within smooth margined surround, paired arch lights surmounting; to left, 3 bays of bipartite arched windows with heavy, plain transoms and mullions. To right of entrance, bays 5 and 6 of similar design but divided by heavy banded buttress (small flat-topped outshoot in re-entrant angle below 6th bay); upper wall rising into skewed gabled with steeped apex stack surmounting.

N ELEVATION: gable-end with central 3-light window with drip sills, band course near apex containing central carved rectangular stone with circular detail; stone cross surmounting apex. To flanks of gable, blind chamfered angle walls adjoining gable to side elevations of hall.

E ELEVATION: partially concealed by neighbouring structures but large blind gable to extreme left terminating in stepped apex stack; smaller (probably later) piended extension adjoining to right; 3 further bipartite bays to centre and right. Central iron lantern to roofline terminating in conical roof with ball finial.

S ELEVATION: blind wall with small W facing gabled boiler-house adjoining to left, apse to middle and small link to church on right.

BOUNDARY WALL, RAILINGS, GATEPIERS AND GATES: to S (Tweed Green) entrance, low rubble walls with chamfered ashlar copes; much later plain wrought-iron railings flanking gatepiers. Pair of tall sandstone ashlar gatepiers on slightly projecting base plinths, chamfered upper angles leading to pyramidal caps with central gablets, geometric urn finial surmounting. Pair of much later 2-leaf wrought-iron gates with decorative scrolls adjoining arched top of outer upright. Three sets of terraced steps leading to church, low outer walls to each with chamfered copes and terminating in short square end piers; upper terrace (re-laid) similar with walls arching to church entrance terrace. To N (Eastgate) entrance, low rubble walls with chamfered ashlar copes; much later plain wrought-iron railings flanking gatepiers. Pair of tall sandstone ashlar gatepiers on slightly projecting base plinths, chamfered angles leading to flat-topped pyramidal caps with moulded base rising in to arched central detail; original finials missing. To W, no wall as such, adjoining adjacent buildings. To E, low coursed and random rubble wall with shaped rubble copes shared with adjoining mail yard.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building still in use as such. The Leckie Church was built as a memorial to Rev. Thomas Leckie, born in Glasgow in 1758. His father died when he was 8, and although Thomas did manual work, he gained enough education to study divinity at Glasgow University. He became a licensed preacher, being ordained the first minister of the Associate Burgher Congregation in Peebles in 1794, at a stipend of ?65 per annum (by the time of Leckie's death, the congregation neared 400). There was no manse but land was bought and a house erected (the land is now where the church is). Here the Leckies raised 10 sons and 3 daughters. Many years later, the remaining family gathered in Peebles for the funeral of Charles Leckie, the Rev.'s ninth son; a family friend suggested donating the family land near Tweed Green to the congregation so they could build a church in memory their father. The brothers decided to donate the land and fund the church also, which together with an adjoining strip of land cost ?8000. The newly completed church's centre, side and gallery pews sat about 400 people. A dais at the N end held an organ with choir stalls to the east, whilst a large wooden screen stood in front of the apse and supported the pipe-work of the organ. The attached hall accommodated around 80 people. In 1900, there were 3 Presbyterian churches in Peebles but by 1918 St Andrew's and the West Church merged, taking the name of the former but the building of the latter. The Great Union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church took place in 1929, so St Andrew's and the Leckie Church each had their own parish within the Burgh. By 1977, this building became the home of the United St Andrew's Church; but the restrictive deed by which the property is held by the congregation demands that the church is still referred to as "The Leckie Memorial Church". The joining of two congregations rendered the interior too small for general use, as was the adjacent hall. A flexible layout was installed for use as a church or hall (see INTERIOR). A second hall and committee room was provided in the 1980's with the purchase of an adjacent former bakehouse; it was converted at a cost of ?12,000 with the labour provided voluntarily.

External Links

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.