Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Fryers and Penman of Largs, 1907-1909. Gothic church with cusped tracery and half-engaged square-plan 4-stage tower. Lightly tooled grey granite ashlar finely finished to margins. Base-course; pointed-arched openings; curvilinear tracery; chamfered reveals; hood moulds; angle buttresses; eaves cornice.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 5-bay with tower recessed to outer right. 3 bays to right advanced: flat gabled entrance bay advanced to centre, deeply chamfered doorway flanked to right by stone wall piscina with canopy, ironwork gates to porch, 2-leaf boarded timber door with decorative strapwork hinges; small window to left and right return, stone crucifix to apex; 2-light traceried window to flanking bay to left and right, flat-arched 3-light trefoil headed window to left and right returns. Small window above base course to penultimate bay to left, window to centre of bay to outer left.

W ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 2-bay.

TOWER: 3-stage tower with octagonal spire to bay to left; tall lancet window to 1st stage, window to left return of 2nd stage, bipartite windows to left and right returns of 3rd stage, carved grotesques supporting pierced corniced parapet, gableted bipartite louvred openings to each face of spire, ironwork weathervane finial to spire. Flat-arched bipartite trefoil-headed window to flanking bay to right.

S ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 6-bay. Gabled penultimate bay to right with lancet window to centre, boarded timber door with strapwork hinges reached by 4 stone steps and flanked by small lancet window to right return; 3 bipartite traceried windows to flanking bays to left of S aisle, 3 diamond-pane windows to clerestory; boarded timber door with strapwork hinges reached by 2 stone steps to vestry in bay to outer left; recessed chancel to outer right with trefoil headed lancet off-centre to left.

E ELEVATION: single bay, symmetrical, flat-gabled chancel; 5-light decorative stained glass traceried window, by William Morris and Co., to centre; foundation stone centred below reading "THIS STONE WAS LAID BY MARGARET LOTHIAN COATS OF GLEN TANAR. SEPTEMBER 30TH 1907". Stone cross to apex.

Decorative stained glass windows dating from the 16th century. Roof material not seen 1999. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: entered through porch to N. Timber shallow-pitched compartmental roof, decorative king posts on carved stone label stops. Carved oak gothic choir stalls, pulpit and altar table in chancel to E; carved stone font. Pointed-arched arcades to N and S aisles; chapel to E of N aisle; pointed-arched opening to W of nave leading to vestry, bell pulls still in place. Carrara marble memorial sculpture to W of S aisle, reproduction by Percy Portsmouth of the Carpaneto Monument by Scanzi; organ within arched recess to E of S aisle.

BOILER HOUSE: octagonal vertically boarded rustic timber former boiler house on granite base to S of church. 3 blocked window openings; boarded timber door to W, flanked by stone steps to basement. Rectangular wing advanced to S. Grey slate roof

GATES, GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: open timber-framed 2-leaf lych gate with slate roof. Battered granite gatepiers; battered granite rubble boundary walls to N, S, E and W.

Statement of Special Interest

St Thomas's Episcopal Church was presented to the Diocese by George Coats, 1st Baron of Glentanar, whose wife laid the foundation stone in 1907. It was consecrated by Dr Rowland Ellis, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in 1909. The Thomas's was the first purpose built Episcopal church in Aboyne. The church design is was modelled on the pre-Reformation church at Burrough-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire, differing only in that the chancel is longer, it is built of granite rather than sandstone and the window tracery is different. The bells were cast by John Warner of London, and the organ was built by Messrs. Abbott and Smith. The stained glass windows are of various ages and origins, the earliest dated pane reads "1584", some of the glass is of early 17th century Flemish origin, whilst other pieces shows the arms of merchant families. The memorial sculpture was erected by Margaret, 1st Baroness of Glentanar in memory of her husband.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.