Building record MAB27243 - FOVERAN PARISH CHURCH, FOVERAN

Former parish church, no longer in ecclesiastical use, built in 1794, and associated graveyard.

Former parish church, no longer in ecclesiastical use, built in 1794, and associated graveyard. It is a rectangular Georgian building with a later organ chamber apse on the south elevation. It was built with roughly-shaped and coursed granite rubble, with better quality grey granite blocks on the quoins and surrounds. The steeply-pitched roof is slated. Original round-arched windows. There is a window on either side of the central apsed organ chamber, which was added in 1900. It has a hipped roof, built into the original roof structure and there is a round-arched window (matching those in the original elevation) on the side faces of the chamber. There is a simple birdcage-style bellcote, with ashlar stones and a small bell hung within the opening. It is topped by a large, stone ball finial. The galleries renewed in 1877 into horseshoe gallery on cast-iron columns with arcades at upper level. The interior was refurbished in the 1930s with pews and fittings from the demolished Foveran United Free Church. There are an interesting group of monuments in the church including the Turing slab. The Turing slab is category A listed, and is a medieval stone with two incised figures in armour. It is well-preserved but broken in the middle. This probably lay in the Turing Aisle of the medieval church (NJ92SE0015) and which was removed from the graveyard in the 1970s and re-erected against the west wall of the church. There was also a 17th century bust of Sir John Turing, a Queen Anne hourglass attached to the pulpit, a stone font that incorporates a medieval column. There was formerly a a bronze plaque to the painter and etcher James McBey, who was born nearby; this has been relocated to Newburgh Public Hall (NJ92NE0089). The church contains a war memorial to Lieutenant Charles Thomas McWilliam, killed in action 18th March 1918. Unveiled in October 1922, it is set on a wooden board, and comprises a rectangular bronze plaque with inscription, decorative leaf edging, a cross at the top and two shields either side. The graveyard contains three World War I Commonwealth war graves: Deck-hand F. G. Kelly, Royal Naval Reserve: Gunner D. Tough, Royal Garrison Artillery: Private William Wood, Gordon Highlanders.

Period Notes
Bell dated 1760 and recast 1905; church built 1794; repaired 1852; reseated 1871; galleries renewed 1877; organ chamber apse added 1900-1. Church and Turing slab Listed 16/04/1971. Churchyard Listed 11/09/1984:

HENDERSON, JA, 1907, ABERDEEN EPITAPHS & INSCRIPTS, 309 (Bibliographic reference). SAB723.

HAY, G., 1957, THE ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTTISH POST-REF CHURCHES, 80, 242 (Bibliographic reference). SAB720.

EELES, FC, 1957, THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF ABERDEENSHIRE PSAS 90 (1956-7) 130-60, pp.149-150 (Bibliographic reference). SAB490.

Jul 16 2023 , PUB-GR-23-07-001, 002, PUB-GR-23-07-001, 002 (Ground Photograph). SAB36554.

Jul 16 2023 , PUB-GR-23-07-010 - 022, PUB-GR-23-07-010 - 022 (Ground Photograph). SAB36556.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, FOVERAN 1,2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, VOL XII, 701 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

Oct 22 2015 , AAS-GR-15-10-026 to 064, AAS-GR-15-10-026 to 064 (Ground Photograph). SAB35411.

Record last edited

Jul 28 2025 10:03AM