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

GLENCORSE, OLD GLENCORSE KIRKLB7454

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
A
Date Added
22/01/1971
Local Authority
Midlothian
Planning Authority
Midlothian
Parish
Glencorse
NGR
NT 24518 63038
Coordinates
324518, 663038

Description

1665. Rebuilt 1699 and early 21st century alterations. Cruciform-plan church with E-W rectangle with addition of N and S aisles, with stairs to lofts above. Random rubble. Skew-gabled. Additional ashlar tower with broached clap-board steeple to W, 1811. Early 20th century slate roof.

W ELEVATION: centre of gable obscured by tower addition, rectangular window to either side.

TOWER: 1811. Square tower, stugged ashlar with base band and string course. Slit window to left return; doorway with two steps and small square blocked window above to right return; louvred windows to 3 sides at 2nd stage; internal stairs leading to window overlooking church interior; timber-framed broach spire, clap-boarded; weathervane atop.

N ELEVATION: plain rubble; square window to either side of Glencorse Aisle, door to far left.

GLENCORSE (N) AISLE: 2-storey, random rubble with string-courses, skew-gabled; gable end window breaking 2nd storey string course; steps to metal barred doorway of stone vaulted undercroft (containing two pedimented marble funerary plaques); small rectangular barred window flanking either side; central forestairs with stone parapets to Laird's loft above to right return, sculptured armorial panel flanking either side of moulded doorway; small rectangular window close to eaves to left return.

E ELEVATION: random rubble; skew gabled, long and short ashlar quoins; pedimented funerary plaque inset to left, 2 to right.

S ELEVATION: random rubble; to left of Woodhouselee Aisle doorway with moulded plaque above; rectangular window to right (lintel missing); to right of aisle, doorway with inset funerary monument adjacent; small damaged window above (slightly offset), window to left of door.

WOODHOUSELEE (S) AISLE: 1699. Random rubble, crowstepped gable, string-coursed aisle addition. Central door, hood-moulded panel above (armorial sculpture missing), small circular looped Gothic tracery window above, dated 1699; to right return 2 inset pedimented funerary stones; fore-stairs with stone parapets to moulded doorway (lintel missing) of Laird's loft above to left return; sculptured armorial panel flanking either side of doorway (right missing).

12-pane glazing pattern in timber sash and case windows. Slate roof.

INTERIOR: simple unreconstructed interior with exposed stone rubble walls. Modern (c2004) timber roof structure with shallow arched tie beams and vertical slatted boarding. Fireplace in E elevation, door to tower in W gable, slate flooring.

Statement of Special Interest

An outstanding post-Reformation church, with distinctive channelled broached spire, set in historic kirkyard. Sited on an ancient place of worship called Erncraig, the rectangular church was rebuilt in 1699 following a fire, then gradually extended to include the Glencorse and Woodhouselee Aisles. The Lairds and their families used the upper floors, and the Glencorse aisle has a vaulted undercroft (previously the Lairds had used lofts within the main body of the church). Robert Louis Stevenson attended the church in his youth, travelling over the Pentland Hills from Swanston. He later described it as the "most delightful place on earth." The church was used until 1885, when the present kirk was built to accommodate larger congregations due to more troops at the barracks. Robert Trotter (resident of Bush House) either repaired or added the timber spire to the old kirk, and a later descendant of the same name contributed £400 towards a new church. He also donated a field at New Milton Farm as a parish cemetery, which is still in use today. Old burial ground has interesting 'trade' gravestones (see separate listing).

The kirk fell into a state of disrepair and remained ruinous until it was re-roofed circa 2004 bringing it back into use for religious services. The interior has been consolidated but is in an "unfinished" state with exposed stonework and freestanding pews creating a picturesque atmosphere.

Descheduled and list description update 2013.

References

Bibliography

New Statistical Account 1834 Vol 1 (p319-20). G Hay "Post Reformation Churches" (1957) [plan]. I G Lindsay The Scottish Parish Kirk (1961) p51. Islay Donaldson "Midlothian Gravestones" (1994) pp49-50. J Thomas, Midlothian (1995) pp62-63; I M Fraser, Kirklands, Loganbank and other Local History (1995) pp 4, 8 and 11.

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.

Images

There are no images available for this record, you may want to check Canmore for images relating to GLENCORSE, OLD GLENCORSE KIRK

There are no images available for this record.

Search Canmore

Printed: 29/03/2024 14:36