Durisdeer Parish Church

All probably by James Smith. 1718-20 church and west wing

with vestry (latter built as Ducal Withdrawing Rooms and

session house) with square tower above, adjoining circa 1708

Queensberry mausoleum; latter houses "Queensberry marbles".

Church and mausoleum arranged in Greek-cross plan, wing and

tower to west. Mausoleum built of polished ashlar; remainder rubble-built with pink ashlar dressings, channelled quoins

and continuous moulded cornice. Re-roofed in simplified form

by Andrew Watson, joiner 1784-5 and again re-roofed 1957.

Mausoleum: adjoins north wall of church; square-plan;

polished ashlar with bell-cast leaded roof; altered circa

1711 - shallow outshot on north wall (replacing flamboyant

traceried window) to accomodate marble sepulchral mural

monument by John Van Nost, and square-headed window slapped

in east and west walls (former now a door); Queensberry vault

below elaborate white marble baldacchino (also by Smith) on 4 barley-sugar columns. Church: (1699 sundial on jam is re-set)

windows mostly round-headed, in bolection-moulded

architraves; small-paned glazing (not original); rusticated square-headed doorway to east and to south, each linked with

gallery window cill; interior: (renovated 1784-5 and

re-arranged circa 1870) separated from mausoleum by wide

segmental arch with elaborate wrought-iron gates; pulpit

with back board now placed against these; boxed communion

pews; 3 galleries, each with panelled front and 2 supporting

columns; west gallery also by Andrew Watson. West wing: (at

present, part disused, part used as vestry, part as Sunday

School - possibly never completed. 2 storeys;

rectangular-plan; long west wall 3 bays with central door;

4-bay flanks with close-spaced windows. Door in

bolection-moulded and lugged architrave, with dentilled

cornice and round-headed window above; other windows all

square-headed, and linked between floors by shallow aprons.

Each face of tower has blind oculus (originally with

small-paned glazing) to lower stage; louvered, Y-traceried

and round-headed belfry opening to upper stage, cornice, and

low parapet (spire removed 1825).

Interior: stone scale and platt stair, with curved nosings,

on west wall beside main door; vaulted passage at foot of

tower (now housing boiler) with original entry to church now

blocked; wheel stair to tower entered in base of north west

angle; some bolection-moulded fireplaces (flues in steeple).

Churchyard: some fine 17th-19th century stone monuments,

many with classical ornament; martyr's monuments (to Daniel

MacMichael) and 1685 monument to children of William Lukup,

Master of Works at Drumlanrig.