Description

1638. T-plan church. Later alterations to openings. Bellcote, 1885. Vestry, 1921, adjoined to W. Rubble. 12-pane glazing in sash and case windows; coloured-margined glazing to bipartite window. Boarded doors. Coped skews; cement to church, red sandstone to vestry. Decorative red sandstone finials to gableheads. Slightly graded grey slates. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

N ELEVATION: gabled jamb at centre; McDouall burial vault at ground floor, church gallery above; bipartite window, with sandstone mullion, in gablehead. Door to burial vault to left to W return; studded boarded door with decorative cast-iron hinges; polished pink granite plaque above inscribed "Sacred to the memory of the family of McDoualls of Logan . . . Vault closed in 1897". Window, with brick margin, to right.

W ELEVATION: low gabled vestry adjoined slightly to right of centre; door (main entrance) to left to N; window to W; catslide lean-to in re-entrant angle to S, with door to W; brick margins. Gabled bellcote at apex of gablehead; red sandstone; coped base inscribed "1885"; cusped opening with bell; surmounted by stone finial and iron weathervane finial. Wallhead stack, with octagonal can, interrupting right skew. (Blocked window at gallery level).

S ELEVATION: 3-bay (1-2). Window to each bay, smaller window in centre bay. (Blocked round-headed doorway between centre and right bays).

E ELEVATION: door at centre. Window directly above. (Formerly window at gallery level).

INTERIOR: painted plaster walls and timber dadoes. Coombed ceiling. Decorative plaster roses. Deep embrasures. Pulpit to S, with steps from right; round-headed pilastered timber panel behind. Gallery to N; steps up at centre, with timber balustrades, to centre aisle; round arch over, springing from highly decorative corbels. Door at centre to E and W. Timber pews; several with lamp stands. Two decorative brass former oil lamp fittings to pulpit. Six bronze oil lamp fittings attached to walls. 19th century marble mural tablets. Triangular timber panel, dated 1618, with carved inscription, hanging on N wall. Bell, apparently cast 1534, with Latin inscription, on display.

GRAVEYARD: 18th and 19th century monuments. Fine 18th century gravestones. Several tablestones. Gravestone in form of lighthouse, 1852. Remains of former parish school to W.

MCDOUALL OF LOGAN MONUMENT AND ENCLOSURE: 1877. Obelisk-type monument, with railed enclosure, in memory of James McDouall of Logan. Sited on

hillock. Granite. 3-tier chamfered plinth. Pedestal; each face

polished; inscription to W face, "In memory of Colonel James MacDouall of Logan . . . ". Surmounted by obelisk; copper portrait medallion attached at base to W. Stepped red sandstone ashlar base; upper step vermiculated and inscribed "1877". Low rubble enclosure wall; ashlar saddleback coping. Surmounted by tall, decorative railings; gate to W. Five polished pink granite Celtic cross monuments to S of enclosure.

GRAVEYARD WALLS: rubble coped rubble walls. Pair of piers to NW [?]. Pair of pyramidal-capped square rubble piers to SW; double-leaf iron gates. Pair of pyramidal-capped, square bull-faced granite piers to NE; double-leaf wrought-iron gates.

Later cemetery to E.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such; Church of Scotland. The church is also popularly known as Kirk Covenant, from the fact that it was built in 1638, the year in which the National Covenant was signed throughout Scotland. According to M'Kerlie, building commenced in 1638, but work was not completed until 1650. In 1885 the gallery was altered to provide extra seating, and the bellcote was built. In 1921 a new vestry was added to the west of the church. The Old Parish

Church of Kirkmaiden united with Saint Medan's Church, Drummore, in 1931; Saint Medan's became the regular place of worship, although occasional services continue to be held in the Old Parish Church of Kirkmaiden.

The bell on display in the church is said to have come from Castle Clanyard (see separate listing), originally having been brought there from Kenmure. It was used as the church bell at the Parish Church of Kirkmaiden from the early 17th century until 1885, when it was replaced. It was subsequently removed to Logan House, until circa 1945 when it was returned to be displayed in the Old Parish Church of Kirkmaiden. According to the inscription, the bell was made in 1534 for Nicholas Ramsay, Lord Dalhousie, by John Morrison. The triangular timber panel, which bears the crest of the Adairs, is said to have come either from Drummore Castle or from the ruins of the earlier parish

church, situated on Mull of Galloway Farm.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17568577

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

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  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
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