Gartmore Parish Church, Main Street, Gartmore, Port Of Menteith, Stirling

Entry Name: Gartmore Parish Church, Main Street, Gartmore

Listing Name: Gartmore Church (Church of Scotland) Including Churchyard, Boundary Walls, Gatepiers and Gates

Listing Date: 6 September 1979

Category: C

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 348587

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB15066

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200348587

Location: Port Of Menteith

County: Stirling

Electoral Ward: Trossachs and Teith

Parish: Port Of Menteith

Traditional County: Perthshire

Tagged with: Church building

Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Setback to the rear of its plot on the Main Street of Gartmore, the church was originally constructed in 1790 as a 5 bay, rectangular Chapel of Ease. The church was built at the same time as much of the planned estate village of Gartmore. It was substantially recast and altered in 1904 by H & D Barclay with the addition of a bellcote and porch to the centre of the principal elevation. Although much altered since it was originally built, it is of local importance and has good historical and streetscape value.

Symmetrical principal (SE) elevation looks over the graveyard towards the Main Street of Gartmore. Belfry gable to centre with bell dating from 1800, hooded lintelled window with small Gothic porch advancing below with central door. Flanked on either side by 2 pointed-arch windows. The Gothic wrought iron quatrefoils and finials to outer and centre bays of the roof were added in 1872 following north European examples. The NE gable is blank. The SW (side) elevation is dominated by a large hooded 3-lancet window to centre. To the rear (NW) there are 2 pointed-arch windows with a gabled 20th century addition to left.

In 1904 extensive alterations, financed by the Cayzer family of Gartmore House (see separate listing), were carried out. The communion table and pulpit were moved to the NE end, an old entrance in the SE elevation was reopened and the Gothic porch and bellcote were added. Internally, the galleries were removed, increasing the available floor space and the symmetrically arranged windows, hitherto of differing heights, were carefully aligned.

Interior

Plastered interior with timber boarded ceiling, boarded dado and sanctuary panelling. At centre of the NE wall, a semi-octagonal pulpit with raised panels and carved putti, with decorated panel of three cusped arches under a floral cornice behind. Carved timber font with four banded columns as pedestal. A variety of stained glass windows, most dating from the early 20th century, commemorate members of the Cayzer family. The timber pews date from the 1904 remodelling.

Materials

Much-pointed rubble walls with sandstone ashlar margins and quoin strips. Graded grey slates to pitched roof. Modern stained timber and glazed main door.

Churchyard

A walled churchyard separating the street from the church contains variety of gravestones, the earliest dating from 1793. It is bounded by random rubble walls with ashlar gate piers and wrought iron gates to street.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such.

'A rood of ground for building a chapel' was feued by Robert Graham of Gartmore in 1790 (Gartmore Kirk Session). At that date, Gartmore was located within the parish of Port of Menteith. It was constituted as a Chapel of Ease in 1794; and then in 1834 it became a Quoad Sacra Parish Church. Gartmore had its own manse and minister until 1957 when it was re-united with Port of Menteith. The parish boundaries changed once again in 1983, when Gartmore was linked with Buchlyvie while Port of Menteith was linked with Aberfoyle.

Historic Scotland photographs dating from the 1970s show that a bipartite arched window was once situated to the centre of the small Gothic porch. According to local residents, this was replaced with the existing front door, to allow funerals to be performed in the church.

External Links

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