Description

Bruce Sturrock and Co, dated 1882; addition to vestry, 1902. Rectangular-plan, gabled, Gothic church with large traceried window, square-plan finialed tower with adjoining semi-octagonal stair tower, lean-to aisles and vestry to rear. Polished red Ballochmyle sandstone to principal elevations and dressings; squared, roughly-coursed sandstone to sides and rear. Bull-faced sandstone base course to front only; long and short quoins; pointed-arch windows with chamfered margins. Tower with louvred stone belfry openings to each elevation of upper stage; decorative balustrade to top with clock faces to S and E and pyramidal finials to corners.

CHURCH: principal elevation to S with gabled end of church to left and tower slightly recessed to right. Hoodmoulded, traceried window to gable with rows of cusped lights and band of pierced-work across centre; shouldered diagonal buttresses flanking gable. 2-leaf timber-boarded door with decorative strap hinges to tower; roll-moulded shouldered architrave set in roll-moulded pointed-arch surround with monogram 1882 to tympanum; flight of 6 curved steps to door. Semi-octagonal stair tower to right of tower with windows to each face. 4 single windows and 1 mullioned bipartite window to E elevation; similar arrangement to W with gablehead over bipartite window. Rose window to apex of N gable; piend-roofed vestry advanced below.

Leaded lights with some stained glass. Ashlar-coped skews with skewputts. Graded grey slate roof with spiky red terracotta ridge tiles.

INTERIOR: aisles separated from main body of church by slender cast-iron columns supporting triangular brackets that in turn support deep entablatures pierced by rows of pointed openings. Combined organ and pulpit against N wall; carved oak communion table; decorative marble font by William Rultin of Paisley; pine pews; predominantly 20th century stained glass windows.

MANSE: Bruce and Sturrock, 1887. 2-storey, 3-bay, roughly L-plan villa with advanced gable to left of S (principal) elevation and steep-roofed outshot to rear. Red sandstone as church with ashlar to principal elevations. Base course; eaves course; pointed windows to 1st floor, ashlar skews with decorative skewputts. 2-storey canted bay with 3-light windows to advanced gable; decorative carving to gable apex. Timber-panelled front door. Timber panelled interior doors and some decorative interior plasterwork. Sandstone stacks with short yellow clay cans. Graded grey slate roof. Non-traditional uPVC windows.

WAR MEMORIAL: Celtic Cross war memorial on stepped plinth, situated to S of church.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATE: saddle-coped red sandstone boundary wall enclosing site; dwarf boundary wall to road with railings between raised piers; pyramidal-capped gatepiers to entrances to church and manse with trefoil-carved tops; decorative cast-iron foot-gate to manse; coped brick boundary wall to manse garden.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. A well-proportioned church of a simple, but successfully chunky design with good interior detailing. The church and manse stand next to each other, separated by a piece of lawn, and form a good pair. They occupy a prominent position on the main road through Crosshouse and make a very positive contribution to the streetscape. The church is a prominent local landmark. Bruce Sturrock and Co were a small architectural firm based in Glasgow. The eponymous partners were David W Sturrock and J L Bruce. Little is presently known about the practice, but they seem to have specialised in church and school design.

The tradesman who worked on the church is given in the Church History as follows: Mason, Thomas King; Joiner, Mr Rowe; Slater, John Kirk and Son of Irvine; Plumber, Thomas McCall of Irvine; Plasterer, Mr Elder of Kilmarnock; Gas Fitter, Mr Hall of Irvine. The foundation stone was laid in 1881, and the original estimate for building was £1,770. The manse, which was built a few years later, cost £800. There is a 20th century church hall to the North of the church.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77781498

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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