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Summary

Description

15th century tower; set back top stage 1799, doorways inserted 1807, structural repairs 1950. Church 1807, architect J & A Elliott of Edinburgh; builder Alexander McFarlane of Perth. E session house added 1961, interior alterations 1968, repair after fire 1986. Rectangular-plan church with gothic detail; gabled and crowstepped 5-bay aisless nave with earlier 3-stage, square tower to W and later flat-roofed session house to E: plate traceried windows with stained glass. Droved ashlar; coursed and squared rubble with ashlar surrounds to tower. Deep base course and decorative frieze; string course, corbel table and cavetto cornice to tower. Pointed and segmental- headed openings, and oculi; buttressed porches, polygonal spired bartizans, hoodmoulds, chamfered reveals, voussoirs and stone mullions. Y-tracery.

W ELEVATION: tower (see below) to centre with traceried windows in flanking bays.TOWER: 3-stage tower with set-back final stage. 1st stage with hoodmoulded, deep set 2-leaf boarded timber door and decorative- astragalled fanlight and small loop above to centre W; similar door to S below small bipartite window and loop abutting string course, further smaller loop to left; small bipartite window to N. W face of 2nd stage with tall narrow light to centre and loop to right, further tall light to N and square Roman clock face to centre S with loop to left. Corbel table to each face giving way to parapet and set back bell-housing with louvered light to each face and small sloping roof of newel stair in SW corner.

N ELEVATION: symmetrical. Small flat-roofed projecting porch to centre with 2-leaf timber door in hoodmoulded, pointed-arch opening with voussoirs and blocking course, flanked by 2-stage, pyramidal coped clasping buttresses, 2nd stage projecting above blocking course; top half of traceried window behind and full-height traceried windows in flanking bays; pepperpot turrets to outer angles.

S ELEVATION: mirrors N elevation.

E ELEVATION: narrow flat-roofed session house with window near corniced blocking course projecting to centre bay, hoodmoulded bipartite window and further window on return to left, all windows small, (lower rendered extensions projecting to E and N); tall traceried windows in flanking bays and smaller windows to outer bays; sunburst-astragalled oculus to centre above and louvered oculus in gablehead below bartizan.

GRAVEYARD: extensive graveyard surrounding church with multi-period monuments including some 17th century.

BOUNDARYWALL AND STEPS: coursed rubble boundary wall surrounding graveyard with rubble copes. Large corniced rusticated gatepiers to broad stepped entrance ramp off Kirk Wynd.

Stained glass and leaded small pane glazing throughout. Grey slates. Coped ashlar skews and finials.

INTERIOR: (seen 2010) modernised 1968 (see Notes). Tower vestibule oak panelled 1920, with War Memorials and marble monuments; 1st floor formerly Magistrates' robing room; stone newel stair from 2nd floor level to bell chamber, bell in situ. Church with cornice frieze reflecting exterior, small modern balcony to W and raised chancel area to E with William Morris windows (see below) flanking centre organ by August Gern of London, 1885, rebuilt 1963 by Messrs Jardine & Co and 1986 by Messrs Rushford & Draper.

E memorial windows of 1877 to Mr James Russell, by Burne-Jones (made at William Morris works in Surrey) depicting Miriam, Moses, Ruth and Joseph, Mary, Jesus and the angel at Bethlehem (S); Moses, Elijah, the Annunciation and raising the widow's son at Zarepthah (N). Windows to N and S of 1914 donated by Mr John Hunter of St Brycedale; by Gascoigne of Nottingham, commemorating ministers of Church of Scotland since Reformation (upper lights) and various aspects of the Gospel (lower lights). W windows of 1988 by John Clark commemorate the 1986 fire, depicting descending fire of the Holy Spirit (N); the Burning Bush and Moses and the Pillar of Fire, and the Phoenix (S).

Statement of Special Interest

Kirkcaldy Old Kirk is a major example of a surviving pre-reformation tower, with fabric dating to the 15th century. The 1807 addition to the tower is a good example of the re-use of older ecclesiastical buildings during this period, with other similar examples at Inverkeithing and Burntisland parish churches (see separate listings). The 1807 addition is well detailed in a gothic style, with some prominent architectural features including a moulded cornice and pepper-pot turrets. Tradition indicates that the church was erected by St Columba in the sixth century and re-dedicated by Bishop David de Bernham in 1244 when it was consecrated either to St Patrick or St Bertius. The Old Kirk occupies a prominent position within the streetscape of the town, set on a small rise and with the tower particularly prominent. The Kirk also makes a good contribution to the surrounding streetscape of Kirk Wynd, with the gatepiers and stepped ramp particularly prominent.

The present tower is likely to date from the 15th century, with the addition of the top stage in 1799 to try and increase the volume for the new bell. The 1799 tower addition formerly had a pyramidal roof. The bell is inscribed "Made 1553. Renewed 1707. Renewed again 1755 by Joannus Milne, Edinburgo, fecit", (Millar). It was also further re-cast in 1916.

The 1807 church was built at a cost of £3000 with 1,635 sittings, and the foundation stone was laid on the 5th February 1807 by Provost John Ford. The Rev John Alexander (NSA) regards the interior as "chaste, without any superfluity of ornament"; but he regards the tower as "devoid of beauty, ... destitute of historical interest" (p761). In 1828 the N gallery collapsed killing 28 people, before subsequently being re-built. The rebuilt horseshoe gallery and box pews were removed and the chancel enlarged in 1968, at which time the organ console was moved. The last 'Kirkin' of Kirkcaldy Town Council took place in 1973, and a fire in 1986 damaged the organ and necessitated replacement of the W gable. On 14th June 1987 the church was re-dedicated after repairs costing £150,000.

The last service was held at the church in November 2010

(List description updated 2011.)

References

Bibliography

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