Cadder Parish Church, Cadder Road, Cadder, Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire

Description

David Hamilton, 1825-29; altered 1905-08 and 1914 by Stewart and Paterson, renovated 1980. Plain Early English broad-plan church; square-plan, crenellated bell tower to W; later chancel (1905) with flanking organ chamber and vestry to E. Coursed, horizontally droved ashlar of various sizes to W elevation; squared, stugged sandstone rubble to nave; projecting, 3-tier ashlar base; ashlar dressings; simple moulded eaves course. Horizontally droved, rubble tabs (heavily re-pointed with coursing scraped out in places); smooth ashlar to corner turrets. 3-bay entrance elevation with central advanced 4-stage, octagonal-buttressed tower. Hoodmoulded, Y-tracery windows to N and S. Prominent hoodmoulded, pointed-arched, panel window to E. Raised, double-chamfered architraves to most openings, some with hoodmoulds.

CHURCH: W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 3 bays, gable end. 4-stage, central bell tower with flanking low 2 stage stair chambers. Entry through broken-arched, 2-leaf timber boarded doorway at base of bell-tower; simple raised, splayed 3-order architrave, plain hoodmould. Octagonal clasping buttresses to full-height of tower; set-back buttresses rising to 2nd stage. Moulded stringcourse above doorway; round-arched windows to 2nd and 3rd stages, labelled hoodmoulds. Moulded oculus with carved datestone between 3rd and 4th stages, inscribed '1829'. Large, broken-arched 2-light, panel-tracery window, raised architrave, headstopped hoodmoulds. N ELEVATION: 4-bay nave with identical, tall broken-arched, Y-tracery windows. Ashlar strip quoins to left and right. Extension to left (1905), comprising vestry with chancel set behind; projecting doorway to vestry with stop-chamfered architrave. Tripartite window to left, stone mullions with moulded reveals, smooth ashlar tabbed surrounds. Projecting, plain stringcourse above doorway. Parapet with moulded copes. Set-back buttressing to chancel, sloping dripstone course at mid-height. Stair chamber to right return; stringcourse below wallhead parapet, plain coping. 2 upper stages of belltower to right, simple round-arched window, large broken-arched, 2-light, panel style window above. E ELEVATION: 3 bays, with central advanced, gabled chancel (1905); flanking vestry and organ chambers to ground floor; nave wall recessed at 1st floor. Prominent pointed-arched, panel window to chancel (formerly located on E nave wall); moulded ashlar plaque below (dated '1909', describing renovation of church); Stringcourse continuing from flanking wings to chancel. Tripartite, shouldered window to lower chancel wall at ground floor; doorway to left into sunken chamber. Narrow rectangular openings to chambers; stepped wallhead parapets; moulded coping. Broken-arched, single light windows to nave walls behind. S ELEVATION: Identical to N elevation.

Diamond-pane, leaded glass to secondary windows; stained glass (see below) to principal windows. Modern (2004), timber boarded double entrance doors with timber panelling to archhead. Grey slate pitched roof.

INTERIOR: entrance through belltower; tall, round-arched openings to either side, leading to flanking stair chambers. Large, segmental-arched opening with carved pine war memorial architrave, leading through W nave wall into vestibule under gallery, separated from main church by carved pine and leaded glass screen (remodelled 1980). 4-bay nave interior with gallery to upper W end, intricately carved oak front panels incorporating heritors coats of arms, supported by thin cast-iron columns. Wooden bench pews to nave floor. 3 sections to nave roof, narrow, segmental barrel vault with queen-post truss bracing, each emblazoned with heritors coat of arms; flanking flat ceilings; moulded frieze between flat and vaulted roof sections. Segmental chancel arch (1905) to E, engaged clustered columns; oak pulpit to left; octagonal stone baptismal font to right; wooden 2-leaf doors to E nave wall (1905, leading to vestry and organ chamber); single light, broken-arched, stained glass windows (James Noble windows) flanking chancel arch at upper level. Raised floor level to central E nave, stepping up to barrel vaulted chancel; pine panelling to lower walls; organ to right (pipes set in shallow pointed arch).

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS: stained glass tracery window to upper E chancel wall, Gardner Window by James Ballantine & Son, installed 1891, (6 upper panels date from 1908), picturing 'Our Lord, blessing little children'. James Noble windows (E nave wall) by Ballantyne & Gardner of Edinburgh, installed 1896, picturing 'Enoch - a good sevant of god' and 'Jonah - an example'. Stained glass to nave windows; 4 bays from E to W (2 bays to W intersected by gallery); 1st bay (N), the Rev James Watt Window by Alf Webster, installed 1914, picturing 'And now, abideth Faith, Hope and Charity'. 1st bay (S), Marion Bell Window by Alf Webster, installed 1914, picturing 'Prayer and Praise' (window features Cadders link with Glasgow Cathedral). 2nd bay (N), War Memorial Window, by Stephen Adam Studios, dedicated 1921, picturing 'Supreme Sacrifice' (showing Crucifixion and Christ calling disciples to follow him in service and sacrifice). 2nd bay (S), War Memorial Window, by Stephen Adam Studios, dedicated 1921, picturing 'Sacrifice' (as expressed in story of Abraham and Isaac, and images showing devastation of war). 3rd bay (N), plain leaded glass. 3rd bay (S), Millenium Window by Crear McCartney, dedicated April 2001, picturing 'Jesus Christ - Yesterday, Today and Forever'. 4th bay (N), Robert Findlay Window by Sadie McLellan, dated post-1961, picturing 'Seedtime and Harvest'. 4th bay (S), Thomas Warren Window, artist unknown, dated 1908, picturing 'In my father's house are many mansions.'

CHURCHYARD: large churchyard to S of church; several memorials of note, earliest dating from 1636. E side of churchyard, cast-iron and granite memorial dated 1869; cast-iron frame with granite stone inset; trefoil-shaped cast-iron advanced pediment to head with bulbous crocket finial; circular recessed casting in trefoil-head with quatrefoil to centre; ogee arch with flanking round arches to top-inside frame margin; splayed, stepped sides. To SW of churchyard, tall simply decorated obelisk memorial dated 1847; 3-stage base (splayed top edges); plain, tapered yellow granite central section with projecting frieze, thin cornice above and plain triangular pediment; tall, plain tapered obelisk stone to top, piended at head. To the immediate NW of the church simple lying stone dated 1834; tall, Gothic style, cast-iron grille mort-safe set in rectangular-plan stone boundary; geometrical tracery to base, consisting of trefoil-arched arcades and quatrefoils; simple barred stanchions above with pointed-arch arcaded frieze to head; ornamented above with pointed quatrefoil finials; fluted cast-iron pillars to corners with urn shaped finial to head.

WATCH-HOUSE (1828): to NE corner of graveyard; coursed, tooled ashlar; raised polished ashlar quoins; projecting ashlar base course, raised splayed ashlar margins to openings; projecting ashlar eaves course to N and S sides; bargeboarded gables to E and W. 3-bay principal elevation to W; dominating rectangular doorway to centre with rectangular hoodmould; flanking round-arched windows; cast-iron grilles to doorway and windows. Pair of small, round-arched windows to N, E and S elevations; thin grilles to windows. Grey slate tiles with capped octagonal gable stacks to E and W; dummy W stack, fireplace to interior E.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Cadder Parish Church is a fine example of the work of celebrated architect, David Hamilton of Glasgow. Hamilton was one of Scotland's most prolific and popular architects of the time, his major works including the Royal Exchange in Glasgow (1827-1832), Hamilton Palace (now demolished) and Hutcheson's Hospital (1802-1805). Charles Stirling (owner and benefactor of Cawder House) was an enthusiastic patron of his work, and previous to taking ownership of Cawder, Stirling had commissioned Hamilton to build his previous mansion, Kenmure House (now demolished, on the site of Bishopbriggs Golf Club to the SW of Cawder). Hamilton then executed the Cawder Estate improvements between 1813 and 1815, before returning to Cadder again in 1825 to build Cadder Parish Church. It follows earlier work by Hamilton around 1815-18 at Cawder House and Estate, ancient home of the Stirlings of Keir and Cawder, major benefactors of the current church. The church sits within this extensive estate, to the SE of Cawder House and just S of the Antonine Wall (SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT), on a site that is known to have housed a place of worship since at least 1150. It is the third known church on the site, a pre-Reformation church being replaced in 1750, and this in turn being replaced by the present building, begun in 1825 with the bell tower finally finished in 1829. The oldest gravestone in the yard dates from 1636, whilst the watch-house dates from 1828, around the time of the present church, when the Resurrectionists were at their most active at the beginning of the 19th century. The church yard at Cadder was particularly susceptible to their thefts due to the close proximity of the church to the Forth and Clyde Canal (SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT), which lies just metres to the E, allowing bodies to be transported easily to the cities. An iron 'mort-safe' can also be found in the yard, which dates from this period. It is noted in the 2nd Statistical Account of the Parish that some of the eminent families of the area would be buried under the floor of the centre aisle of the church, some even under their own seats. It serves as the parish church for the large parish of Cadder, which stretches from the E edge of Bearsden across to Mollinsburn, near Cumbernauld. The original village of Cadder has now been consumed by Bishopbriggs burgh, but before its expansion and granting of burgh status, the village of Bishopbriggs was first served by Cadder Parish Church, and as a result it is by far the oldest church in the modern burgh. The church has undergone various changes and improvements since it was finished in 1829, with much of the work being funded by the Stirlings and other wealthy families that hailed from the large parish catchment area. Until just after the turn of the 20th century, the church remained true to Hamilton's original design, a rectangular, box-type church with a central pulpit and horseshoe gallery. In 1905, the chancel arch was installed in the E end of the nave and the new chancel was constructed, moving the Gardner window from the E nave wall to the rear of the chancel. Work was also carried out to the pews, heating and the pulpit, before the church was reopened in 1908. In 1914, the balcony was shortened to the present shape and the carved oak front installed, opening up the E end of the nave and allowing the installation of new stained glass windows. The 9 heritors coats of arms, which formerly decorated the original balcony fronts, were emblazoned onto the centre of the vault trusses. Finally, the Chancel Project was carried out in 1980, when pews from the front of the church were removed to allow the creation of a raised platform in front of the chancel, the pulpit moved slightly, the choir pews removed from the chancel and the communion table pulled forward, to sit under the chancel arch. To the rear of the church, pews were removed to allow the vestibule to be enlarged, and a new screen built incorporating original windows and doors. The church was also carpeted and re-painted, including the vault in the vibrant colours found today. The mixed usage of the name Cawder and Cadder to describe the house, village and estate can be a source of some confusion. In the ancient maps of Richardson and Forrest, the parish is marked as 'Cadder' (the parish being one of the original 365 designated parishes), whilst the House and estate are marked as 'Calder'. The use of 'Calder' has since disappeared, and until the early 20th century the estate, village and parish were all refered to as Cadder. The use of the name Cawder was adopted by the golf club and this has since become the most common name for the House and its related estate, whilst the village and parish have continued to be called Cadder. These changes in name and spelling have been put down to gradual changes in dialect and pronunciation through time.

Cadder Parish Church lies within the amenity zone for the Antonine Wall recommended in D N Skinner The Countryside of the Antonine Wall (1973), and which will form the basis of the buffer zone, yet to be defined, for the proposed Antonine Wall World Heritage Site.

External Links

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.