St Ninian's Church, Tynet, Fochabers Lhanbryde, Moray

Entry Name: St Ninian's Church, Tynet

Listing Name: Tynet, Roman Catholic Chapel of St Ninian

Listing Date: 26 January 1971

Category: A

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 332291

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB1609

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200332291

Location: Bellie

County: Moray

Electoral Ward: Fochabers Lhanbryde

Parish: Bellie

Traditional County: Banffshire

Tagged with: Church building

Description

1755, renovated 1787 and early 20th century, restored 1951,
Ian G Lindsay, architect. Simple long, low single storey
building with 10-bay S elevation with regular fenestration.
Harled, ashlar dressings. Plain square-headed entrance in
penultimate SW bay, doorway to sacristy in end E bay. 6
windows in rear N elevation; mainly 12-pane glazing. Ball
finial at W gable apex (circa 1787); stack at E gable; graded
Banffshire slate roof.
INTERIOR: simple whitewashed interior. Principal doorway
opens into entrance lobby with baptistry separated by flat
balustered railings. Doorway to church framed by (? re-used)
corniced doorpiece with fluted Corinthian engaged columns and
closed by pair 18th century fielded panelled doors with
modern partial glazing. Simple grey painted pews and
confessional; chancel separated by turned altar rails and
framed by reeded pilasters supporting simple wooden arch.
Small octagonal pulpit (1787) with octagonal sounding board,
fielded shaped panelling and moulded cornices.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical buiding in use as such.

First surviving Roman Catholic church to be built in Scotland

after the Reformation. Replaced church sited in St Ninian's

burial ground, Chapelford, desecrated by soldiers in 1728.

Built by Father Godsman, incorporating dwelling of a 'poor

woman' as a 'cot for his sheep', as inconspicuous place of

worship. Until the building of St Ninian's, mass had been

celebrated in barns, frequently at night and the priest

travelling the countryside disguised as a farmer. With the

Braes of Glenlivet and the Arisaig-Moidart area of Lochaber,

the Enzie in historically strongly Roman Catholic.

St Ninian's was originally thatched, but slated in 1787,

re-using slates from the abandoned church at Chapelford.

Upgraded B to A, 24.3.88

External Links

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