Building record MAB11109 - ST RUFUS CHURCH, KEITH

St Rufus parish church is a large church built 1816-19 in the Neo-Perpendicular Gothic style to a design by James Gillespie Graham, with alterations and additions by A and W Reid in 1853 and alterations made in 1875 by James Matthews, Aberdeen.

St Rufus parish church is a large church built 1816-19 in the Neo-Perpendicular Gothic style to a design by James Gillespie Graham, with alterations and additions by A and W Reid in 1853 and alterations made in 1875 by James Matthews, Aberdeen. In 1892-1902, there was probably refurbishing work carried out by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie. The North and South elevations are long, five-bay, buttressed elevations, terminating at the West end with a four stage tower. The church is constructed of mixed rubble, with tooled and polished sandstone ashlar dressings. At the East end is a central shallow entrance porch with angle buttresses and a crenellated wallhead, flanked by tall hood-moulded windows (blind) and surmounted by a squat traceried window (partially blind). The long elevations feature set-off buttresses, with hood-moulded, perpendicular, traceried windows and a crenellated wallhead. The gables are crow-stepped, with a cross finial at the East end, and a slate roof. The four-stage West tower features a crenellated wallhead with crocketted angle pinnacles, and clock faces on the North, South and East elevations, surrounded by ornate Gothic stonework. There are entrances at the North and South of the tower, and the Northern entrance is blind. The tower also has angle buttresses and diminishing stages. There is an incised mason's mark present at the apex of the South entrance arch in the West tower, below the 1816 date inscription. The bell in the tower is inscribed 'T. Mears of London fecit 1818'. Inside, the entrance lobby at the East end has mirrored stairs leading to a horse-shoe gallery, supported by cast-iron cluster columns with a cusped panelled front that has a centre gilded Seafield coat-of-arms. There is an organ in a carved case at the West, fronted by a carved and panelled rectangular pulpit that is reached by a short flight steps with a brass handrail. There is a mural aumbry from circa 1500, said to be from the Sacrament House of the medieval Keith church (NJ45SW0032) which the present church replaced, has been re-set in the West wall to the left of the pulpit. The Aumbry is initialled 'IO' for James Ogilvie, with a worn inscription and infilled with a carved monogram and possibly a former finial. The church is surrounded by coped rubble walls. The entrance is flanked with square ashlar gatepiers with pyramidal caps, supporting a pair of cast-iron carriage gates.

Period Notes
Built in 1816, with a re-used mural aumbry of circa 1500, said to be Sacrament House from Old Keith church. There were alterations and additions on 8 June 1853, alterations on 28 April 1875 and probably refurnishing work, perhaps carried on from 1892-1902. Listed designation given on 22/02/1972, and its status was changed from a B listing to an A listing on 24/03/1988.

HOWAT, AJ, 1901, CHURCHES IN MORAY, 31 (Bibliographic reference). SAB729.

HAY, G., 1957, THE ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTTISH POST-REF CHURCHES, 141,251 (Bibliographic reference). SAB720.

MCKEAN, C, 1987, MORAY: AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, 140 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1142.

Aug 30 2006 , AAS/06/3/DG584-5, 592, AAS/06/3/DG584-5, 592 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30791.

Jan 29 2013 , AAS/GR/13/01/001-026, AAS/GR/13/01/001-026 (Ground Photograph). SAB30793.

Author unknown, n.d., ABERDEEN DAILY JOURNAL, 28/04/1875 (Bibliographic reference). SAB23.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, 391 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

Record last edited

Mar 5 2018 4:08PM