Description

Reconstructed 1833, incorporating earlier fabric (see Notes); Rev William Stevenson, N aisle 1905-6. Rectangular-plan plain gothic church with lean-to N aisle, 2 battlemented porches and octagonal ashlar birdcage bellcote. Squared rubble, heavily dressed porches; droved ashlar margins and voussoirs. Tudor-arched openings to original building, pointed-arch openings to N aisle and porches. Chamfered reveals, stone tracery.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical. Window to centre bay flanked by battlemented porches each with panelled timber door, and further windows to outer bays.

W ELEVATION: gabled elevation with centre window and corbelled, finialled belfry with bell (dated 1887) at gablehead.

N ELEVATION: lean-to aisle to right with 3 windows, that to centre with keystone dated 1906; and lower set-back lean-to porch to left with boarded timber door below keystone dated 1898, and window to outer left.

E ELEVATION: full-width, coped and battered, deep base course (earlier fabric?) giving way to traceried window and Forbes family coat of arms in gablehead.

Stained glass windows (see Interior). Slated. Ashlar-coped skews with block skewputts.

INTERIOR: fixed timber pews (some box pews) and boarded dado. Scallop-capitalled Romanesque arcade to N aisle with classical mural memorials to Rev Walter Welsh and James Watt, farmer of Balbarton. Raised chancel with carved gothic screen and pulpit, octagonal stone font, and fine stencilled pipe organ and console (see Notes) to N. Traceried E window with Ss Andrew and John, memorial to Major General Liddell: WWI War Memorial to SE window with WWII plaque.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Since 1969 Auchtertool has shared its minister, and since 1991 has been linked with Linktown Church, Kirkcaldy. Rebuilt more than once, the original church is thought to have been Norman built by Queen Margaret or her son David. The Skene of Hallyards burial vault lies beneath the N aisle, approximately 3.5m wide x 6m long, the entrance now within the walls of the sanctuary. The organ, another gift of Rev William Stevenson, was built in 1886 by Casson & Miller of Perth. One of only six of its kind, it is similar to that at St John's, Perth, Stevenson's previous church.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56614935

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)