St Cuthbert's Episcopal Church, Westgarth Avenue, Colinton, Edinburgh

St Cuthbert's Episcopal Church, Westgarth Avenue, Colinton, Edinburgh

A Scots Gothic church designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson in 1888-9, with additions by Matthew M. Ochterlony in 1934, and a church hall by Alexander Lorne Campbell in 1925. The building is a listed Grade A structure of considerable architectural and historical importance.

The church follows an approximately cruciform plan with a seven-bay nave, later transepts to north and south (added in 1934), an advanced aisle to the south, and a corridor connecting to a large church hall positioned parallel to the church on the south side of the site. It is constructed in rake-jointed variegated Hailes sandstone rubble with red Dumfriesshire sandstone ashlar dressings, with a base course only to the tower. Cusped stone-mullioned lights sit within chamfered openings throughout the nave, tower and elsewhere. The building features kneelered gables and a red tile roof with red ridge-tiles, ashlar-coped skews, and cast-iron down pipes with decorative hoppers and wall brackets.

The tower is a three-stage square-plan structure rising to the north-east, surmounted by a 17th-century style lead-covered belfry with a lucarned concave-arched roof, crocketted at the corners, a polygonal lantern, and weathercock. At the base is a timber-boarded door with decorative strap hinges set in a chamfered pointed-arch surround facing south. The second stage features small rectangular lights to the east, south and west elevations, while the third stage has windows to all elevations. A cornice with floral brackets and gargoyles at the corners sits below a roll-moulded ashlar parapet.

The north elevation features a transept forming a porch at the fifth bay from the left, with a two-leaf pointed-arch timber-boarded door with decorative strap hinges within a chamfered double pointed arch, and a cruciform light within the gable apex above.

The east elevation, including the corridor and church hall, comprises five staggered sections. The chancel to the right features a depressed-arch tripartite traceried window with a single window to the right return. A recessed wing containing the Lady Chapel flanks to the left with a tripartite window and window to the left return. A recessed corridor occupies the centre, with an advanced piend-roofed section to the outer left containing two windows.

The west elevation has a four-light Tudor-arched hoodmoulded window with perpendicular tracery.

The south elevation features an advanced transept to the centre with a trefoil window in a triangular surround to the gable and single windows to the returns, with windows flanking to left and right. An advanced section to the outer right has a hoodmoulded pointed-arch window, with a lean-to annex and shouldered polygonal stack to the west return.

The building is fitted with small-pane leaded windows throughout.

Interior

The seven-bay nave features an Ailsa Craig granite floor and a king-post and arch-brace roof with stencilled decoration, with timber panelling to the dado throughout. A large stained glass window to the west wall of the nave depicts King David I and other church builders, dedicated to Sir Oliver and Lady Riddell of Craiglockhart in 1923. Two bipartite stained glass windows in the north wall are dedicated to Reverend Xavier Peel Massey and Lindsay Auldjo Jamieson.

The later transepts (added in 1934) open to the north and south through chamfered middle-pointed arches. A timber screen to the lobby in the north transept has a two-leaf timber-panelled glazed door.

The baptistry in the south transept contains a small stained glass window and an octagonal stone font carved with apostolic beasts, coats of arms and baptismal scenes. A carved dedication at the base reads "TO THE GLORY OF GOD GIVEN TO ST CUTHBERTS COLINTON BY LADY RIDDEL OF CRAIGLOCHART, 1909". A highly decorative timber perpendicular font cover with crocketted finials, carved tracery and gilt decoration is surmounted by a nesting pelican.

A chamfered, roll-moulded four-centred chancel arch opens to the east of the nave, with a carved oak chancel screen featuring gilt and painted decoration inscribed "CHRISTUS SEMEL PRO PECCATIS NOSTRIS MORTUUS EST". The chancel has a wagon-roofed ceiling with stencilled decoration and contains a carved oak pulpit with painted and gilt decoration, a painted carved and gilt organ case, and carved timber choir stalls with wrought-iron brackets. A painted triptych reredos with gilt-filleted timber frame sits above, with a three-light stained glass window above the altar and a stained glass window to St Cuthbert in the north wall of the chancel. A depressed arch with a decorative carved screen in the south wall of the chancel opens to the Lady Chapel.

The Lady Chapel features a tripartite stained glass window depicting Our Lady and Saints Cuthbert and George, with a four-centred arch and carved and gilt screen opening to the south aisle.

The south aisle is joined to the nave by two chamfered four-centred arches and has a pointed arch ribbed roof with stencilled decoration. All pews in the nave between the chancel and transepts feature differently carved ends. Other furnishings include a carved oak collection box, an eagle lectern, a pair of Arts and Crafts carved timber altar rails with kneeling angels, and a carved timber credence table.

Church Hall and Corridor

Designed by Alexander Lorne Campbell in 1925, the corridor comprises two bays with a timber-boarded door to the left and a window to the right. The hall is a single-storey five-bay structure constructed in the same stone as the church, with chamfered bipartite leaded border-glazed lights with stone mullions. An advanced porch to the outer right of the north elevation contains a two-leaf timber-boarded door within a chamfered middle-pointed arch, with windows to the returns. The west elevation features a large arched window divided at the centre by a buttress, with tripartite windows to each side featuring stone mullions and cusped lights. The hall is topped with a red tile roof and ashlar-coped skews.

Boundary and Setting

A low ashlar-coped boundary wall encloses the site, with two pairs of coped ashlar gate piers featuring Gothic detailing. A Victorian Gothic street lamp stands to the north of the church.