Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

EAST PORT, ST MARGARET'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHLB26018

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Date Added
12/01/1971
Local Authority
Fife
Planning Authority
Fife
Burgh
Dunfermline
NGR
NT 09546 87576
Coordinates
309546, 687576

Description

R Rowand Anderson, 1889-96; chancel and W sacristy/vestry added 1934-36 by M Watson of Edinburgh, probably under Reginald Fairlie; E sacristy/kitchen added/further extensions to W 1973. Rectangular-plan; orientated N/S; with aisled nave, apsidal N end and large gabled porch to S. 4-bay nave of Transitional design based on Peterborough Cathedral (part of larger uncompleted scheme); 3-bay chancel (plus apse). Slender flanking towers with pyramidal roofs to S gable. Coursed snecked rock-faced red sandstone with droved ashlar towers, buttresses and dressings to nave and porch; yellow sandstone chancel; dressings to apse and those to sacristy and vestry partly or wholly of concrete. Base course (except to altered sacristy and vestry); band course at cill level to aisles and one over arches of clerestory windows to either side of nave; machicolated eaves band to nave and aisles; parapet to nave. Eaves band to chancel; machicolated band course below to apse. Round-arched openings to nave (including aisles) and upper part of apse; splayed reveals to gable and either side of nave/aisles and upper part of chancel. Coped gables.

S ELEVATION: large porch occupies most of width of nave; round-arched entrance with 2-leaf boarded timber door with ornate strap hinges and fanlight; oculus to shouldered gable above; shallow buttress stepped out twice to both returns; arrowslit to upper part of butress to left return; band course to right return. Gable end of nave set back; blind 3-light window arcade (Palladian arrangement) with nook shafts; band course at cill level and one above following outline of arches. Ornamented Greek cross (cross fleurette) at apex. Flanking towers of square plan; each with nook shafts at angles rising from base course to eaves level; band course links to that across arches of upper windows of nave; double-arched blind arcade with nook shafts, flanked and divided by shafts with carved capitals to each side; brackets ornamented with grotesque heads in between; cornice above; pyramidal roof with roll-moulded ribs at angles and to centre of each face; gargoyle-type(?) carvings at base of each rib; splayed pinnacle at apex. Entrance with boarded timber door to aisle to left; window to aisle to right; both with band course at eaves level; one at cill level to right aisle. Both aisles terminate at gableted set back buttresses, set against square-plan tower-like pinnacle which rises from eaves with nook shafts at angles and finialled pyramidal roof.

NAVE: 4 bays divided by pier buttresses to both clerestory and aisles. Single window to each bay at each level.

CHANCEL: obscured at lower level on either side by partially rendered lean-to sacristy; that to W incorporates vestry (1934, extended/remodelled 1973); that to E incorporates kitchen (1973). S bay altered and cement rendered with concrete eaves band on each side (probably 1973). Quatrefoil window to each of remaining bays.

APSE: semicircular-plan. 3 bays, upper part of each recessed as panel; each with window with nook shafts (shafts missing, capitals and bases intact) towards apex; cill course and band course across sprining point of window arch to each bay. Pair of Caernarvon-arched windows below recessed panel to each bay.

Mostly multipane leaded windows; replacement UPVC ones to sacristy, vestry and lower part of apse. Grey slate roofs. Some early cast-iron downpipes with conical rainwater heads with decorated bands.

INTERIOR: round-arched arcading to nave; cushion capitals to moulded aisle piers and circular shafts supporting clerestory and ceiling. Semicircular timber barrel-vaulted roof (curved over arched windows with flanking lower-height arches). Palladian arrangement to arcade to choir gallery over arcade (tall stilted central arch with lower-height flanking ones). Stone reredos (thought to be by Reginald Fairlie, 1939-40) caved in Romanesque style and incorporating stylised figures of saints; timber canopy at apex. Pair of stained glass windows, one of St David and one of St Andrew (probably post-war) to apse; circular stained glass window of St Margaret over porch at S end.

Statement of Special Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. It was originally designed with transepts and 2 towers (one at the crossing, the other at the S end). Although the plans appear to have been modified by the time it was begun, it was still intended to have been extended to the N to Rowand Anderson's design. What remains constitutes a significant part-completed design by him. Retains an attractive late 1930's reredos attributed to Reginald Fairlie. Begun on site in 1894 to provide permanent accommodation for Dunfermline's Roman Catholic worshippers. Initial funding was provided by the 3rd Marquess of Bute, Scotland's leading Catholic benefactor. Rowand Anderson was selected as architect on Lord Bute's recommendation, having rebuilt the Marquess' family home, Mount Stuart. The original scheme included a round tower in the manner of the 11th century tower at Brechin.

References

Bibliography

PLANS and ELEVATIONS, Folders Nos 2082 and 2517, Dean of Guild Records, Dunfermline Council; A H Millar, FIFE: PICTORIAL AND HISTORICAL, VOLUME II (1895) pp223-24; John Gifford, FIFE, in 'The Buildings of Scotland' series (1988) p186-87; CHURCH CENTENARY PAMPHLET (1996); Bert McEwan, DUNFERMLINE - OUR HERITAGE (1998) p246.

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.

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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.

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Printed: 29/03/2024 07:03