Description

John Henderson, 1854. Simple gothic church (converted as private house by Gordon and Dey, 1980) with 3-bay aisleless nave, 1-bay chancel, S-facing entrance porch and small spired tower to SW. Projecting organ chamber added at SE in 1882. N aisle and vestibule to NE added 1889 by Thomas Leadbetter. Grey Fife sandstone squared and snecked rubble with Craigleith ashlar dressings.

S ELEVATION: 3-bay:- chamfered pointed-arched doorway to gabled porch at left, with hoodmould and label stops carved as male and female masks. Projecting gabled S transept (organ chamber) to right; pointed arched opening now reveals floors of modern house. Central bay has cusped mullioned bipartite window in Tudor-arched opening.

W ELEVATION: 3-light window with circle of mouchettes in gable; small tower on square base continuous with gable wall, rising to octagonal belfry with trefoil openings to louvred bell chamber; winged animals under cornice of finialled stone spire, carved male mask at intersection of roof and tower.

N ELEVATION: flat-roofed projecting N aisle in paler sandstone; 3 rectangular tripartite openings with trefoil cusped windows, 1 smaller on return to W. Projecting additional building with butressed chimney to left.

Grey slate roof, scalloped on entrance porch. Cross-finialed sawtooth stone coped skews with gabletted terminations to porch and S transept.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building no longer in use as such. Built by Walter Mitchell Goalen as a proprietary chapel, of which he was both incumbent and owner. Goalen was the son of a Leith ship builder. He had resigned his charge at Holy Trinity, Laurencekirk in 1852, and lived at Starbank House (Laverockbank Road). The church was opened in 1854. Because it was a private venture there was no constitution and no board of management, and therefore no records for this period. When Goalen retired in 1875 he sold the church to the congregation.

Groome's Gazeteer (1882-5) describes it as 'a pretty Episcopal Church.' Carved label stop at intersection of gable and tower said to be a portrait of the mason.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56631050

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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