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Summary

Description

John Biggar, 1881. 5-bay, buttressed, Decorated Gothic church with steeply pitched roof and lower chancel bay to E end. 4-stage, broach-spired tower to NW corner and 3-bay, 2-storey gabled former presbytery adjoining to E. Snecked whinstone with ashlar dressings. Deep base course. Stepped buttresses punctuating pointed-arch traceried windows with corbel-stopped hoodmoulds to nave; two windows with trefoil above to gables. Tower with stepped, angled buttresses, semi-octagonal stair tower to lower stages, trefoiled pointed-arch louvred belfry windows, corbel table and 2 tiers of lucarnes to spire.

Diamond leaded glazing. Two-leaf boarded timber doors. Graded grey slates, clay ridge tiles. Stone skews with beaked skewputts; cross finials to apexes. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: plain decorative scheme. Lofty timber-trussed roof on painted stone corbels; painted stone chancel arch. Open-back pews. Later 20th century additions to W end to form narthex incorporating relocated alter rails.

PRESBYTERY: 3-bay former presbytery with advanced outer gables with tympanum quatrefoils; asymmetrical gables to side and rear. Canted lead-roofed window to principal room. Trefoil-headed window openings with plate glass in timber sash and case windows. Stone skews with beaked skewputts. Corniced and shouldered ridge stacks, plain clay cans. INTERIOR: Decorative plasterwork to principal room, dog-leg stair with cast-iron balustrade. Doors and timber shutters with pointed trefoil detailing.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: Squared monolithic sandstone gatepiers with carved crosses; low whinstone walls with sandstone caps.

Statement of Special Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such.

A very well detailed and proportioned church with equally good presbytery attached. The quality of the fine decorated polychromatic gothic stonework is particularly worthy of note. They are prominently sited in the centre of the town at the corner of the High Street and Traquair Road, the spire being visible throughout the town.

The buildings built with money bequeathed by Lady Louisa Stewart of Traquair for Catholics settling in the area, by the Edinburgh Architect John Biggar (1830-1892). The majority of Biggar's work consisted of Catholic churches and in this case he used the renowned local builder Robert Mathison as master mason. The quality of the stonework throughout the building is evidence of his skill.

Work began on the buildings in 1879 and the church opened on August 11th 1881 with 600 sittings. The adjacent school was built in 1876.

The presbytery is now under separate ownership and being restored as a single dwelling (2007).

St James RC Church and Presbytery were previously listed with the Old School and Schoolhouse at Category B. (revised 2008, now listed separately.)

References

Bibliography

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