Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

GEORGE STREET, CATHEDRAL OF ST JOHN THE DIVINE (EPISCOPAL) WITH RAILINGSLB38849

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
C
Date Added
16/05/1995
Local Authority
Argyll And Bute
Planning Authority
Argyll And Bute
Burgh
Oban
NGR
NM 85846 30354
Coordinates
185846, 730354

Description

Church comprised of 3 building phases of 1864, 1882 and 1910. Existing church now consists of 2 aisles, 5 bays from N to S, giving approximate cruciform plan with sacristy at N end. Original church and (2nd phase) aisle oriented E/W at S end of (3rd phase) later building. Principal floor entered at street level from George street. Site slopes down to basement floor level at rear (W) of building. Grey stonework of earlier phases painted to match red squared and snecked sandstone of 3rd phase.

1ST BUILDING PHASE; original parish church by J Thomson of Glasgow 1864, simple rectangular plan in plain gothic style. 3-light geometric traceried E window supporting roundels, stained glass, retained in east side aisle at rebuilding of 1910, as gable, breaking eaves. Gable contains 2 stained glass lancets and rose window with stained glass in outer lights. Angle buttress at corner. Simple, pitched, grey slate roof, N pitch and corresponding structural timber below removed, replaced with flat roof connection to 1910 building. Now functions as rear of nave to later church. S facing porch at E end obscured by later

porch leading into 1882 side aisle. Corresponding porch of 1864 phase at W end of N wall, buttressed, with iron cross finial and ornately hinged timber 2-leaf doors.

2ND BUILDING PHASE 1882: side aisle addition to S of above, simple rectangular plan in plain gothic style. Entrance porch with buttress, pointed arch doorway and hoodmould above attached to E gable wall with rose window, hoodmoulded, and iron cross finial above. S wall of 5 bays, single lancet in each. Angle buttresses at corners. Simple pitched grey slate roof, plain console at end of skew cope. Now functions as narthex and baptistery. Divided from nave by glazed screen with doors, Ian G. Lindsay & Partners 1958.

3 BUILDING PHASE; James Chalmers of Glasgow 1910, proposed cruciform plan, with W transept, W side aisle, and S end of nave remaining unbuilt. Plain Romanesque style with round-arched windows, triple window in E wall of transept with vesica above. Grey slate, pitched roof with rooflight over crossing instead of proposed tower. Cornice of square moulding and masks at eaves. Buttresses, angle buttresses at corners. 1 bay of nave arcade built, with circular columns supporting

round arch, with round arch, stained glass window above. Window on E side infilled behind glass. Shallow W aisle containing stairs to pulpit. Pulpit, Romanesque style, circular with 3 main arches containing 2 subordinate arches, red sandstone, decorated with onyx, alabaster and marble. Crossing arches to E and W extant, arches to N and S unbuilt. Columns for N and S arches support recent structural steelwork. W archway infilled with masonry, backdrop to eagle sculpture and bishop's stall.

Choir stalls and 2 lecterns, raised granolithic floor accessed from

nave by 3 white and green marble steps. Low wall to either side in pink sandstone with yellow marble cope. Organ by Blackett & Howden of Glasgow, within E crossing arch, supported on 3 arches on octagonal columns. Springers for corresponding arches in W crossing. Decorative relief panels on organ case. Chancel accessed by green and white marble step to granolithic floor. 6 further green and white marble steps to high altar. Timber reredos above sandstone frame decorated with carved cherubs heads and lugs, inset with coloured marble panels.

Octagonal pedestals above with sandstone sculptures. Piscina, and sedilia of 3 seats in single round arched recess, in E wall of chancel. Romanesque arch of single order with Bishop's crest set in W wall of chancel.

Lady Chapel (E transept) north wall supported on round arch supported in turn half-round columns on rectangular corbels. N wall beyond has rectangular recess as reredos to yellow marble altar. Doorway in Romanesque style arch to left of altar. Low brass screen decorated with grapes, surmounted with timber handrail.

Lady chapel, nave, and chancel ceilings lined with timber strips in

barrel vault form. Internal stonework of stugged, squared and snecked pink sandstone, droved ashlar on dressings, columns and details.

Basement lit at George Street front by narrow area protected by

wrought-iron railings.

Statement of Special Interest

Original parish church consecrated by Bishop of London on 22nd september 1864. In 1881 Ross & MacBeth Architects produced a scheme reproducing the main features of Iona Cathedral. Instead, a south side aisle was added in 1882, at a cost of ?1000. In 1908 James Chalmers won a limited competition entered by 5 architects to rebuild, but only that

which remains today was built. In 1920, St John's church was given the status of Cathedral Church of the United Diocese. Ian G Linsay's screen was part of an unexecuted rebuilding proposal of 1958.

References

Bibliography

No Bibliography entries for this designation

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 19/03/2024 07:19