Page 21 - LOTN Summer Issue 47 2021

FAITH AND CULTURE

despite its foreign references the architecture of the whole
is distinctly Scottish.
The Church

The basic plan of the church is rectangular on an east/
west axis with an apse at the east end narrower in width
than the main volume. At the west end is the main entrance
and the principal elevation. The facade is symmetrical
about the central door with the pavilions at the north
west and south west corners. These pavilions each have
roundheaded doors and roundheaded windows over
centred on the pavilion which contains nicely proportioned
stone stairs giving access to a small meeting hall located
over the entrance hall, baptistry and store. Three arch
headed windows light this hall arca. A commemoration
stone panel centred above the main door celebrates the
date of the church and states DEO 1788.

Commemorative stone panel above the main door Looking towards the apse
Interestingly, in smaller inscribed numbers, this date is work above the dado and immediately below the ceiling.
repeated towards the bottom of the panel. Whether the The ceiling is plastered although broken into rectangular
mason incised the date in small hand in anticipation while panels with substantial moulded ornamental timber rails.
waiting for instruction to carve some more complete text The pews are fixed and of timber.
on the stone, only to have the first instruction cancelled and At approximately the position of the communion rail
the simpler statement of DEO 1788 carved, who can tell? the ceiling changes in section to provide a raised portion
The repeated dates on the same stone are an interesting
enigma.
This main elevation is presently screened by a line of trees
which, although they soften the impact of the church in
the landscape obscure the principal elevation facing west.
Long views of this elevation are therefore not possible.
The main door gives into an entrance vestibule off which
to the left is the baptistry and to the right is a store. Glazed
doors at each side of the vestibule open onto two aisles
which are at quarter points across the width of the church.
On passing through these doors and centred on the church
is a raised area which forms the choir space and holds a
pipe organ. This is surrounded by a panelled timber half
partition ornamented by quatre foils and surmounted by
curtaining held on a brass rail. Reference to the time when
the church was lit by oil lamps is evidenced by two rather
fine timber standards with cast iron holders. An open area
on your left provides space and access to the baptistry.
The nave of the church is one single volume. Daylight
enters through one arch headed window facing north and
two facing south. These windows are multi-paned sash
and case in pattern. Within the nave there is no reflection
or evidence of what the blind arched door on the south
elevation is or was for. The walls have a timber lined dado, The door to the sacristy
and the remainder is plastered to the ceiling. There is stencil
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