Description

James Maitland Wardrop, 1869 incorporating earlier fabric of 1819 by Thomas or James Barclay possibly designed by Alexander Leslie, Inspector of Works; lychgate by Rodgie, 1875; minor alterations by James Gillespie and Scott, 1932; under conversion to residential 1994. Simple M-gabled aisless church with Gothic details (N gable earlier); 2-stage tower abutting SE gable and gabled vestibule to W with bargeboarded lychgate abutting: plate traceried windows, some stained glass. Stugged ashlar, squared and snecked whinstone, contrasting long and short work quoins with voussoirs to rear, chamfered ashlar base course on rubble bed, eaves course, moulded doorcases, pointed arch windows with stop chamfered reveals, hoodmoulds and label-stops, stone Celtic cross finials to N gables. Boarded doors with wrought-iron hinges.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 4-bay nave with 2 2-light windows to right and 2 to left; recessed 2-storey entrance vestibule to left with door to right against re-entrant angle, with recessed square dedication plaque "Our Lord Jesus Christ's Kirk on the Green, Leslie, rebuilt 1869"; narrow light at approximate centre above.

TOWER: square, 2-stage tower with steeply-pitched pyramidal roof. Tall 1st stage finishing above ridge of church: (later?) bowed doorway set in re-entrant angle approached by straight flight of 6 steps with curved roof, pointed arch lights on N, S and E faces lighting stair. 2nd stage: coped batter with 2 square-headed timber louvred lights immediately above to S and 1 each to N, E and W with Roman clock face over. 4-course wallhead above moulded string course with gryphon gargoyle to each corner. Roof with wrought-iron cockerel weathervane.

E ELEVATION: tower masking left gable: low pitch-roofed extension with blocked S window and small window to E, clasping tower at NE and adjoining further low extension (boiler house) with blocked N window in re-entrant angle to left of N gable, Doric memorial column with large obelisk finial (possibly incorporated from elsewhere) to outer right corner; multifoil window above at centre.

N ELEVATION: earlier T-plan building: piend-roofed jamb advanced at lean-to centre with external stair with boarded door entered from left and small opening lighting stair; triangular timber louvred vent in piended roof; pointed arch windows on return walls and to outer left and right of nave, all partly blocked.

W ELEVATION: projecting 2-storey gabled entrance to right with centre pointed arch light just visible over lychgate, square-headed window to left and door on return face to N; cusped circular window in N gablehead to left.

Windows glazed with diamond-pattern leaded lights (stained glass see below). Graded grey slates, ashlar coped skews, ashlar bracketed skewputts and coped ashlar stacks. Moulded gutters with cast-iron downpipes, square rainwater hoppers and ornate gutter brackets dated 1868.

INTERIOR: undergoing alteration at time of survey. Little woodwork remaining; 3-sided gallery on cast-iron shafts with octagonal capitals, twin-gabled exterior evident over E and W galleries with star formation plasterwork and centre boss to N gallery. Pulpit and organ originally sited at centre S between stained glass windows of 1889 depicting 'The Feeding of the Five Thousand' and 'Christ Blessing Children', both being memorials to, and depicting, Henrietta, Countess of Rothes. Human remains have been uncovered below the floor.

TOWER: very narrow stair leading to bell loft, bell in situ.

LYCHGATE: timber gabled lychgate, at right angles to entrance gable, of cusped arch and Celtic cross, drop finials and seat against W boundary wall.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GRAVEYARD AND MONUMENTS: coped whinstone rubble boundary wall to N, E and W of graveyard, the latter with good collection of 18th century headstones and monuments including the Rothes and Douglas vaults listed separately.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building no longer in use as such. Westwood describes the earlier T-plan N section as, "a plain structure built in 1820", with 718 sittings, this building replaced a medieval church demolished in 1821. The pulpit and organ by Scovell, 1909 are reported to have been very impressive.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17809492

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

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)