Description

1830s. Squat cruciform-plan gothic chapel, with bellcote. Snecked, coursed, tooled stone. Long and short droved ashlar to arises and window margins. Base course, eaves course. Pointed hoodmoulds to openings with stops.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical elevation. Central doorpiece; flanking nook shafts with bell capitals, roll moulded pointed arch, pointed hoodmould with carved green-man stops. Central, tripartite, pointed arch lancet window above door, central lancet taller. Central apex niche with moulded corbel set between 2 moulded corbels supporting trefoil head to base of bellcote. Bellcote with open pointed arch; hoodmould with stops, chamfered arises, flanking side buttresses, 4 gablets to roof, stylised, decorated cross to centre of roof.

N ELEVATION: advanced gabled transept to off-centre left; plate traceried double lancet with central quatrefoil above, pointed hoodmould with stops. Central apex niche with moulded corbel. 2 chamfered, pointed arch lancet windows setback to right. Plain short wall of squat chancel setback to left.

E ELEVATION: advanced chancel; tripartite pointed arch lancet at head height to centre, central lancet taller.

S ELEVATION: similar to N Elevation but with transept advanced to off-centre right.

Timber 2-leaf door with decorative pointed arch raised beading to each leaf and triangular motif. Diamond-paned leaded lights. Pitched slate roof, capped gablet skewputs to each gable. Raised ashlar saw- toothed skews to each gable.

INTERIOR: vestibule; 2 timber arched panelled doors to E leading to main body of church. Stone carved font set between doors; trefoiled niches to pier, quatrefoils to basin. Timber, arched, panelled door to S leading to small WC. Timber, arched, panelled door to N leading to stone spiral staircase to gallery above. Nave and Chancel; tongue and groove timber wainscoting throughout, timber pews running full length of chancel, seven sided timber pulpit to N transept; decorative detailing, moulded base, quatrefoils set within panels, moulded cornice, door missing, 2002. Box-pews to S transept. Slightly overhanging modern timber and plate glass partition wall enclosing 1st floor balcony to W, stained glass panel centred to base. Fine vaulted ceiling painted turquoise with white ribs; 3 pointed transverse ribs supported by moulded corbels to nave and chancel, quadripartite pointed arch supported by four vaulting shafts to crossing; centrally decorated boss with plant motifs, light fitting suspended from centre. Pointed wall rib to W, N, E, S supported by moulded corbels.

Statement of Interest

NOTES: Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Aberdour and surrounding land is divided between the old feudal estates of the Earls of Morton (Easter Aberdour) and the Earls of Moray (Wester Aberdour). The church was built by the Moray family in the 1830s to provide a place of worship for the estate workers and their families. The congregation of the church was particularly strong during World Wars 1 and 2, when many service families with Anglican roots lived in the Aberdour area. St Columba?s was a daughter church of St Serf's in Burntisland, this relationship has now ceased (2002), the church now being part of the ABI Group, comprising the Episcopal churches in Aberdour, Burntisland and Inverkeithing.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)