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Summary

Description

Robert Macfarlane Cameron, 1900-1902, church. David Robertson, 1896, hall. Early continental gothic church with tower and octagonal spire at SE corner in re-entrant angle formed with aisle. Rich cream squared and snecked sandstone with contrasting red ashlar dressings and base-course. Rectangular shouldered windows, chamfered arrises. Moulded eaves.

Earlier squared and snecked pale sandstone gabled hall with grey slates to W.

S (GORGIE ROAD) ELEVATION: hoodmoulded pointed portal and 2-leaf plank door with decorative iron hinges and 5-light fanlight; hoodmoulded octofoils and gabled buttresses flanking; above, in central gable, geometric 4-light window with blind arcade below; celtic cross at crest. To left single bay stair tower gabled on return with windows to each floor; further 2-storey half-piended bay adjoins hall to W; window above earlier 2-leaf door (original entrance to hall) with fanlight in pointed arch.

TOWER: to SE 5-stage square tower.

S ELEVATION: window at ground, blank square plaque above, pair of windows at 3rd stage, deeply chamfered reveals to hoodmoulded oculus at 4th stage, 5th stage narrower, framed, with pair of hoodmoulded louvred lancets, moulded cill course and corbelled, coped parapet with plain rainwater spouts.

E ELEVATION: door (smaller version of main portal) at ground, pair of windows with hoodmould course above, then blank until oculus and upper stage as before.

Polygonal red tiled spire with annulet course and patterned tiling above; weathercock.

E (TYNECASTLE TERRACE) ELEVATION: 2-storey 5-bay, with tower at outer left. 2 gabled N bays of transept advanced with bell-cast roof; bipartite windows at ground and round-headed hoodmoulded, cusped 2-light windows to 2nd floor with slit window above. 3 aisle bays at centre with bipartite windows divided by buttresses, under catslide roof. Low wall with saddleback red ashlar coping and plain iron railings running from tower.

W (PASSAGE BETWEEN CHURCH AND HALL) ELEVATION: 2-storey 5-bay as above. To N a corridor joining church and hall.

TO N: narrow gabled (chancel) bay at centre housing organ, hoodmoulded octofoil window; window on return face to E elevation. E door giving access to corridor to hall. Leaded windows, opaque panes, some coloured; stained glass to N and S gable windows. Grey-green slates to body of church, red slates to spire; red ridge tiles and louvred octagonal cupola with lead roof; plain stacks; ashlar skews with triangular skewputts.

INTERIOR: narthex with 2 flights of stairs to gallery, small-pane leaded internal window and pair of similar doors to main hall. 5-bay full height pointed arch arcade sliced horizontally by horseshoe gallery; gilded cast-iron columns, foliate capitals. Chancel arch screened by fine carved and panelled organ, pulpit with flanking flights of steps; gothic communion table with matching chairs; all on raised dais. Boarded gallery balcony in chevron pattern, central clock by P W Simpson, Chirnside. Panelled dado, fitted and numbered pews throughout. High quality, stained and varnished joinery, apparently original. Timber lined wagon roof, 3 good early brass electric chandeliers.

HALL: 3 lancet windows with sunken vesica above; moulded skews with cresting. Later flat-roofed canted entrance porch to left with tripartite window and moulded blocking course.

Statement of Special Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Built as the Gorgie Road UP Church and originally known as the Cairns Memorial Church, but recently united with Tynecastle Parish Church (demolished). The communion table in the narthex came from Tynecastle, and perhaps also the stone font. Tower surely intended to have clock.

References

Bibliography

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