Port Bannatyne Church

Port Bannatyne Church

Designed by William McGibbon and built in 1886, Port Bannatyne Church is a three-stage, three-bay Gothic structure comprising a central gabled nave, a five-stage square-plan tower with Tudor detailing recessed to the left, a pitch-roofed bay recessed to the right, and a rectangular-plan gabled hall adjoining at the rear.

The exterior is constructed of harl-pointed random rubble sandstone with yellow sandstone ashlar dressings. A stepped plinth runs around the building, with architraved cill courses at the first, second and third stages (the third stage applied to the tower). Architraved string courses and moulded eaves complete the detailing. Stugged quoins and stugged long and short surrounds frame the pointed-arched, polished stone openings, which feature block stops to their hoodmoulds. Openings are fitted with sandstone mullions, chamfered reveals and chamfered cills throughout.

The north-east entrance elevation features a tower bay to the outer left with steps leading to a two-leaf timber door set in a deep, architraved pointed-arch surround, a small narrow light above, and large narrow lights at the third stage. A small-paned square opening appears at the fourth stage, with two circular cinquefoils set above. The tower has a stepped parapet with flanking Jacobean-style finials. The advanced gabled nave at the centre displays two trefoil-headed bipartite windows at the first stage and a large plate-traceried window with columnar mullions above. A blind opening is centred beneath the apex, surmounted by a cruciform finial and flanked by gabletted buttresses. A trefoil-headed bipartite window is centred in the pitched bay recessed to the outer right.

The south-east side elevation shows narrow lights at the first, second and third stages of the tower to the outer right, with a bipartite square-light at the fourth stage and a circular cinquefoil centred above. The tower features a stepped parapet with flanking Jacobean-style finials. To the right, three bays contain bipartite windows set between buttresses, with regularly-disposed circular cinquefoil clerestorey glazing recessed above. The church hall adjoins to the outer left.

The north-west side elevation has steps leading to a two-leaf timber door set in a deep, architraved pointed-arch surround in a bay to the outer left, with a tripartite window centred beneath the apex above. Three bays to the right contain bipartite windows set between buttresses, with regularly-disposed circular cinquefoil clerestorey glazing recessed above. The church hall adjoins to the outer right.

The south-west rear elevation of the church hall features a bipartite window breaking the gabled eaves at the centre, with a circular cinquefoil beneath the apex and flanking single windows.

The building is fitted throughout with part-stained, leaded glazing. The roof is graded grey slate with raised stone skews and terracotta ridge tiling. A stepped apex stack stands to the south-west, with circular cans.

Interior

The vestibule contains a barley-sugar cast-iron balustraded stair to the gallery with a timber handrail. Pointed-arch tripartite arcades on ashlar columns with octagonal capitals divide the nave and aisles, running north-east to south-west. Timber pews and timber dado panelling are present, with trefoil-headed arcaded detail set in a timber gallery to the north-east. A large pointed-arch alcove to the south-west is flanked by boarded timber doors providing access to the rear hall. A timber pulpit, carved baptismal font and carved tables and chairs furnish the interior. A boarded timber hammerbeam roof spans the nave, with boarded timber side aisles.

Boundary and Setting

The front boundary comprises a low, harl-pointed splayed random rubble wall topped with red sandstone ashlar coping. Tapering square-plan ashlar piers flank the entrance, featuring roll-moulded detailing, crucifix inscriptions and triangular caps. A low coped wall encloses the site to the rear along the High Road, with matching tapering square-plan piers flanking the entrance.