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St Mary's Church, Belford Road, Fort William

A Category A Listed Building in Fort William, Highland

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Coordinates

Latitude: 56.8198 / 56°49'11"N

Longitude: -5.1036 / 5°6'12"W

OS Eastings: 210685

OS Northings: 774110

OS Grid: NN106741

Mapcode National: GBR FBSP.M19

Mapcode Global: WH1FR.KVY6

Plus Code: 9C8PRV9W+WH

Entry Name: St Mary's Church, Belford Road, Fort William

Listing Name: Belford Road, Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary and the Immaculate Conception and Enclosing Walls with Gate Piers.

Listing Date: 5 October 1971

Category: A

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 373103

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB31780

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Church of St. Mary & the Immaculate Conception
Fort William, Belford Road, St Mary's Church

ID on this website: 200373103

Location: Fort William

County: Highland

Town: Fort William

Electoral Ward: Fort William and Ardnamurchan

Traditional County: Inverness-shire

Tagged with: Church building

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Description

Reginald Fairlie, 1936-38. Rectangular church orientated

east/west, with east gable terminating as massive low square

tower with octagonal angle stair turret with facetted conical

roof. Piended single storey lean-to narthex runs almost full

length of west gable. All pinned squared grey granite, with

some random pink granite in tower masonry; tooled granite

dressings. All window openings round-headed; 3 long slit

windows light north face of tower and 3 similar, but shorter

slits high in south tower face. 8-bay north and south

elevations, lit by small windows, with bowed Baptistry with semi-circular conical roof projecting at penultimate west bay

of north front. Round-headed entrances in north and south of

narthex, the long (west) elevation being lit by 3 windows set

in 3 arched blind arcade.

Various wings project from south (rear) elevation, including

flat roofed chapel abutting gabled vestry projecting from

tower.

Cross finial at west gable apex; 3 triangular louvred roof

vents each side; slate roofs.

Interior; simple barrel vaulted nave with oak pews, tall

round-headed chancel arch supported by engaged columns with

capital carved with Celtic motifs opening to tall chancel.

Tooled ashlar chancel walls and wooden ceiling with beams

supported by stone corbels, both beams and joists moulded. 3

shallow round-headed recesses in east wall, the outer very

narrow, each with stone bracket supporting carved and painted

angels. String course links window and recess imposts.

Altar under sumptuous cast- and wrought-iron partially gilded baldacchino with facetted and pierced finial encircled by

decorative annulets with crowing cross. Chapel in south aisle

divided from nave by pair squat ashlar columns with carved

capitals entwined with cable moulding and with either oak or

floral based design in low relief. Similar treatment to both

flanking engaged columns.

Church surrounded by coped rubble wall, low to north (street

front) with simple cast-iron railings. Pair squared gate

piers with square caps and pair cast-iron gates.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such.

Replaced former RC Church of the Immaculate Conception.

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.

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