Description
Design probably by John Hannah, mason and James Beattie and
John Oliver, wrights. Dated 1789. Parish church with
classical details, 5-stage tower with spire central on main S elevations. Body of church rectangular-plan, originally with
rear forestairs; latter replaced circa 1870 by large session
house with vestibules housing gallery steps in re-entrant
angles. All coursed red rubble with polished margins and
rusticated quoins, slate roofs.
TOWER: (upper part completed between 1798 and 1801), 4 lower
stages square, rusticated lower stage with Doric-columned and
pedimented doorpieces, panelled door with decorative
fanlight; Venetian window in stage above, clock faces to all
elevation in off-set 4th stage, octagonal drum above with
louvred round-headed belfry openings, stone steeple with
weather vane finial.
BODY OF CHURCH: 2 tall round-headed windows each side of
tower (2 leaded windows inserted 1912, outer windows with
intersecting tracery); 3-bay flanks (originally with central
doors) have windows at ground and at gallery level, the
latter round-headed. Continuous cornice.
INTERIOR: altered, probably when alterations to N were
carried out circa 1870. Gallery to 3 sides supported on
cast-iron columns and with panelled timber front, Town
Council's bench central with (original) decorative barrel
vaulted canopy supported on fluted square columns; pulpit
central on S wall with (?circa 1900) organ case behind. 2
marble monuments on N wall.
CHURCHYARD: presumably opened circa 1789, when old parish
church was abandoned. Mainly 19th century stone monuments;
Gothick mausoleum at N with central pyramidal finial; 1696
stone presumably re-sited here from old churchyard.
Ashlar-built wall to roadside (S), outer gateways each with ball-finialled square piers.