Description

Sir William Kininmonth of Rowand Anderson, Kininmonth & Paul, 1964-66, outstanding near-windowless, square-plan flat-roofed church with semicircular entrance and bell tower, formerly with moat, and with sunk nave to interior, inverted clerestorey and floating ceiling effect, attached to former plain Lorimerian church, 1937, extended 1954, converted to hall, 1966. Church of brick, concrete and painted drydash: Hall of squared and snecked sandstone rubble with stugged dressings and base course. CHURCH:W ENTRANCE AND BELL TOWER: open, semicircular bell tower clasping outer corner to left with inscribed bell hung on parallel beams, 1954 (incorporated from former church). Screened entrance at foot of tower through flat-roofed porch large heavy timber doors. Sloping screen wall shielding short flight of steps running parallel with elevation and with late 20th century disabled ramp and stone Celtic cross. Further screen wall to right.

S ELEVATION: with bowed cloakroom to outer right linked to projecting aisle overhaning former moat, and with recessed wallhead of nave behind. Solitary window to outer left. Solitary buttress / flange from moat to wallhead, left of centre.

N ELEVATION: projecting aisle overhanging former moat, recessed wallhead of nave behind.

E ELEVATION: links to projecting hall / former church.

Nuralite Nuraply roofing (fibre-reinforced, bituminous waterproofing membrane) to flat roof hidden behind screening wallheads. Drainage from roof internal to wall structure.

INTERIOR: sunk nave with tiered seating to 3 sides encircling communion table on fourth side (Liturgical Movement), surrounded on 4 sides by columned or screened aisles/ passageway at higher level. Lit by largely hidden clerestorey formed with lowered central ceiling and square grid of 16 square recessed lights in cetnre of ceiling. Bowed cloakroom to SE lit by circular rooflights. Narthex with glazed roof within semicircular bell tower. Organ pipes in screened passageway with simple crucifix to screen, at back of communion table. Stained glass window, 1954, incorporated from former church. Heating pipes under tiered seating. En suite timber Font, Lectern and

Elders' chairs, with white Communion Table (each with common border motif, string of squares) and raised box-like white Pulpit behind.

HALL/ FORMER CHURCH:

Rectangular-plan former church to E of 1966 church (extended seamlessly to W, 1954) with projecting porches and offices, and with partly parallel range of corridor, offices and link to new church.

S ELEVATION: gabled porches off-centre and outer right, each with 2-leaf timber doors to W return, and additional S doors to off-centre porch (1954), with original inscribed stone dedicating 1937 foundation above. Intermediate bays and bays to left with tall narrow windows breaking eaves in swept dormers (3-4). W return of hall with vertical panel of window (former stained glass) with heavily corbelled cill, and louvred ventilator above. Link corridor and offices recessed to left with to left with door and window.

N ELEVATION: gabled projections to outer left (Youth Fellowship room) and to left of corridor / office link. Swept dormers to tall windows lighting former church to left (as above). Canted projection (session room) to centre of corridor / office link. Boiler house and wallhead stack to right. Small single and bipartite windows with stone mullions intervening.

Square-pane leaded glazing in sash and case, pivot and fixed windows. Lead lattice applied to mottled glass on occasion. Grey slate roof, stone ridges.

INTERIOR: main hall (former church) with pulpit and organ. Secondary hall with parquet / gymnasium flooring, steeply pitched ceiling supported by additional rafters at lower pitch, panelled dado to stage in shouldered proscenium arch, decorative plaster ceiling rose (masking ventilator). Dado and coombed ceiling to Youth Fellowship room. Also with Toilets, Vestry and Kitchen.

Statement of Interest

A striking, innovative and unique later 20th century church design following the principles of the Liturgical Movement in plan and conception, its enclosed form and sunken nave reportedly also inspired by the 'conventicle' church and the hillside hollows used by the covenanters in the 17th century. The limited space available on the site made such planning a welcome

contrast to the pitched roofs of the surrounding domestic properties. The 1954 bell is inscribed 'May it peal in the air, and call men to prayer'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17569974

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

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version