Description

Archibald Simpson, 1819; interior re-worked 1872 and 1926. Imposing rectangular plan church and session house on raised ground overlooking graveyard and site of earlier St Margaret's Church. Centre of W gable projects as vestibule and gallery stairs with deep-set 2-leaf timber door, raised-centre tripartite window and slender stone bellcote with bell; nave with alternating roundel windows and pointed-arch traceried windows; galleried interior. Granite rubble, squared at W end, and granite quoins and dressings; round and pointed-arch openings. Raised base course and eaves course continuing as band course at gable ends.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: S elevation with 3 neo-perpendicular, timber-traceried, 2-light windows over raised cills punctuating 4 circular windows high up in spandrel areas. Similar tracery to 2 tall windows at E and plain Y-tracery to raised centre tripartite and flanking set back lights at W.

Windows retain diamond-pattern zinc with hand made glass. Grey slates. Ashlar-coped skews and stone finials.

INTERIOR: some good interior detail retained including 1819 painted plaster ceiling and remnants of acanthus design stencilling; some dado panelling. 1872 pews. 1926 alterations include W gallery on 3 cast iron columns (re-used from original U-plan gallery) with pendulum clock of 1870 commemorating baptism of father of John Alexander on 1 March 1826; re-siting of pulpit at E, dedicated to Rev Brebner, Minister 1871-1927.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. The former parish church at Forgue, designed by well-respected north east architect Archibald Simpson, is an important early survival of the reformed worship plan introduced during the opening years of the 19th century. The building retains a fine presence with its massing and quality stonework. It is strikingly sited on raised ground surrounded by the separately listed churchyard which also contains the Morison family vault which originally stood in the south aisle of the earlier church. The group interest is enhanced by the nearby manse and steading (see separate listings).

Dedicated to St Margaret, the church is located in the village of Forgue, and originally served one of the largest parishes in the north east of Scotland. It was built to replace a 17th century church and two fragments of the 1638 Frendraught pew from that structure, which were incorporated into the new building, are now (2007) located within the separately listed Episcopal Church. An advertisement was placed in the Aberdeen Journal of 14 January 1818 requesting "Estimates .......for a Parish Church at Forgue..... . Plans and Specifications of which, will be seen, by applying to the Rev Mr Allardyce, Forgue, ......., or to Mr A Simpson, Architect, Aberdeen". The resultant church, built in 1819 had an interior decorated in the Greek Revival style; pews were altered and a Conacher organ was installed in 1872; and further alterations, including re-alignment of the gallery, took place in 1926.

The parishes of Forgue and Inverkeithny amalgamated in 1962, with both churches remaining open. These were joined in 1978 by Auchaber parish and in 1992 by Auchterless parish to form Auchaber United. At that time the church at Forgue closed and some useable items were removed to Auchaber Church. In 1997 Forgue Church was purchased from the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland by the Friends of Forgue Kirk and now (2007) runs as a community facility with monthly use by the Parish of Auchaber United.

List description revised 2007.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17780369

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.

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