Building record MAB29494 - LONGSIDE PARISH CHURCH

Church, remains of church and associated graveyard.

Church, remains of church and associated graveyard. The remains of the early 17th Century parish church are now roofless (it was reportedly roofless before the end of the 19th century). It is a rectangular, fairly long and narrow rubble-built church with irregular fenestration. The S wall has various windows and doorways, some blocked, which indicate the insertion and/or removal of galleries inside the church as the layout was altered during its history. It has a double arched panel monument on its exterior. The west gable has a bird-cage bellcote with cornice and gabled roof running east-west and a round-arched doorway with red voussoirs, probably the original. Mounted on the gable wall is a memorial to a member of the local Bruce family who was killed in World War I. The east gable also shows signs of alteration, with a rectangular doorway in the centre which may be later than that in the west end. The north elevation is relatively plain, with a central (now blocked) round-arched doorway. The interior space of the church has been used for later burials. The lych-gate, with 1705 date stone, still remains. The new church was built slightly to the north in 1835-6 by the Aberdeen architect John Smith. It is large, rectangular and functional, constructed of pinned squared rubble, with four windows on each flank. The central bay of the west gable is slightly advanced. Above a round arched doorway are with three narrow round arched windows with latticed glass with step hood-mould. Flanking the central bay are large round-arched windows also with latticed glass. There is a large painted stone clock face with stepped hood mould at the top and a plain birdcage bellcote. The bell is a 1914 recasting of an 1817 bell. The north and south elevations have four equally spaced windows, large round-arched with latticed panes. The rear (east) gable also has an advanced central bay within which are two tall and narrow pointed arched windows and on the apex a slender stone urn finial. Attached to the gable is a single storey vestry and session house structure. A more recent extension to this building has been added on the south side, which is harled and has similar rectangular windows and door. The interior of the church is spacious with a horse-shoe gallery on three sides and a wide nave. The walls and ceiling are plastered and painted. The wooden pews of the nave have been replaced by chairs, and the floor has been renewed. Both church and graveyard still in use. Amongst the 18th century gravestones in the churchyard are those on the grave of the Episcopalian minister John Skinner, and an obelisk marking the grave of Jamie Fleeman (the 'laird of Udny's fool'). Beside the old church is the Longside Parish War Memorial (NK04NW0043). The churchyard contains nine First and Second World War Commonwealth war graves.

Period Notes
Built AD 1619-20; superseded 1825. Gateway 1705.

MACGIBBON, T, 1896, ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND 1, VOL V, 181-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1141.

SHEPHERD, I, 1996, ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED), p. 114 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4829.

Apr 11 2011 , P071-72; P090-108, P071-72; P090-108 (Ground Photograph). SAB13075.

Jul 8 1985 , ET 2-6, ET 2-6 (Ground Photograph). SAB14979.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, No12(1845) 859,867 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

Record last edited

May 1 2024 1:53PM