Reformed Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A small unimposing Victorian neo-gothic style hall church with principal entrance in gable facing road. It has cream roughcast rendering and smooth plaster surrounds to pointed windows. The roof is finished with natural slates and to the rear a modern extension with pitched roof one and a half storeys high replaces the former minister’s room. The entrance gable has a central pointed doorway, pointed lancet on either side and wider larger lancet over door, each with hood moulding. High in the gable above the upper lancet there is a circular moulded plaster plaque with inscribed date of 1888. A clasping band of smooth rendering defines the gable corners and continues along the line of the barges. The side walls are punctuated with four pointed lancets similar to those on gable. The extension to the rear is treated in like manner with pointed windows and while the rear entrance has a flat head, above is a pointed and hooded spandrel.

The church is sited close to road and surrounded by car parking. To rear and side there is green space to accommodate graves of which there are some. Within the site is a church hall placed parallel with intervening car space. There is a red brick boundary wall.

Historical information

The first reformed Presbyterian Church was established on this site in 1806 for Covenanters.Described in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs under Covenanting Meeting House is “a plain rectangular house lighted by six windows on each side, with entrance door in each gable end. It was erected in 1806 at an expense of 400 pounds, raised by subscription among the congregation. It is 64 feet long by 28 and a half in breadth, and accommodates about 320 individuals. The pews are good but not painted and the house is not ceiled, but the roof is in good repair. The date is cut on a stone in the north east gable of the meeting house, with letters “I” and “M”, the initials of James Marshall, the individual who was most actively employed in getting the house erected”. The present edifice was erected in 1888 (date stone).

References:

Ordnance Survey Memoirs Vol. 9
The land of the Roe - S P Mitchell
Lewis’s topographical Dictionary Vol. 1

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A late Victorian neo-gothic style simple rectangular hall church replacing an older edifice of 1806. Established by the Convenanter or Reformed Presbyterians it is of local historical and social interest. However it does not merit listed status.