Mayfield North Church, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh

Mayfield North Church on Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, is a Grade B listed building designed by architect Hippolyte J Blanc. Construction took place between 1876 and 1879, with a later spire added in 1894 and 20th century extensions. The building is a cruciform-plan French Gothic church constructed in cream-coloured sandstone, squared and snecked rubble with ashlar dressings, and topped with a grey-green slate roof featuring terracotta ridging.

The church is dominated by a 4-stage square-plan tower positioned to the north-east, surmounted by an octagonal spire. The main body consists of a dominant nave with low side aisles, matching gabled transepts, a clerestory, and a polygonal apse. A church hall adjoins to the south.

The tower features band courses between stages and buttresses to the outer angles topped by carved gargoyles. The first stage has bipartite windows, while the second stage displays clocks on the north and west faces. The third stage contains recessed, paired, pointed-arched louvred openings with arcaded corbels to the cornice above. Columnar pinnacles flank central round-arched louvred openings. The spire is crocketted stone with fish-scale banding and a stone finial.

The eastern elevation features the main entrance block with a gabled roof. Stylised engaged columns flank the arched openings, with a cill course to a louvred opening above. Pedimented buttresses at the outer angles are surmounted by circular pinnacles with fish-scale banding and carved finials. A central pointed-arched entrance with multiple mouldings and stylised pediment leads to a modern glazed door. Flanking tripartite round-arched windows sit in pedimented panels with carved finials. The dominant nave windows above consist of tall paired pointed-arched windows with shorter flanking panels, and a tripartite louvred opening lights the gablehead.

The north elevation shows the tower to the outer right, a 3-bay linking block, and a matching-gabled transept. The linking block displays base, band, cill and string courses, with window hoodmoulds to aisle windows, dentilled cornice to the aisles, and cornice to the main church above. Buttresses flank openings and are pedimented at clerestory level. The side aisles contain paired lancet windows with single pointed-arched clerestory windows above. The transept features base and cill courses with multiple moulding and engaged columns to window openings, band courses to the gable heads, and flanking pedimented buttresses. Tall pointed-arched tripartite windows light each bay, with taller central lights and shorter flanking lights. Narrow louvred openings ventilate the gableheads.

The south elevation mirrors the north, with a 5-bay linking block and matching-gabled transept, with the church hall adjoining at ground level.

The church hall's eastern entrance elevation features flanking pedimented buttresses with a central lean-to porch at ground level, housing a south-facing doorway and 3 lancet windows. Tall flanking lancet windows flank a central rose window with geometrical tracery above, topped by a tripartite louvred opening to the gablehead and a carved finial.

The interior was completely restored following a devastating fire in 1969. A pointed-arched arcade supported by stylised Corinthian columns opens to the side aisles. The nave ceiling is white plaster with coffering and a barrel vault. The apse features a timber rib vault, while the transept ceilings are barrel-vaulted timber. The original organ was formerly positioned in the apse, now relocated to the west gallery. A timber Gothic pulpit with carved angel figures stands within the church. A very fine collection of stained glass, undamaged by the fire, depicts biblical scenes and allegories. The church hall features a barrel-vaulted timber ceiling.

The boundary comprises low coped rubble walls to the streets with replacement railings. Circular-plan pinnacled gatepiers are surmounted by decorative cast iron lampstands.