Falkirk Old Parish Church, High Street, Falkirk

This cruciform church has medieval origins but has been almost entirely rebuilt across several phases. The medieval square-plan tower survives, though its upper part was remodelled and an octagonal belfry with swept spire added by William Adam in 1738. The body of the medieval church was demolished and replaced in 1810–11 with a Gothic rectangular-plan building and south-east mausoleum (the Zetland tomb) by James Gillespie Graham. To the south, a transeptal two-storey Gothic session house with porte-cochère driveway and single-storey flanking sections was added by Wardrop and Anderson in 1892. To the west, single-storey church halls were added in 1996.

The building is predominantly constructed of diagonally droved rubble laid to level beds with raised polished margins. The mausoleum and majority of the tower are ashlar. The 1892 additions are squared snecked bull-faced rubble with ashlar dressings. The 1811 sections have an ashlar-topped base course, sill course and eaves cornice. Gables are crowstepped. The 1811 sections have predominantly crenellated parapets with triangular merlons; the 1892 additions have flat-headed merlons. Most windows are two-light Y-traceried with transoms.

North Elevation

This four-bay elevation has modern halls to the right. An advanced organ bay at the centre conceals the lower part of four-light loop traceried windows. The outer bays are slightly advanced.

East Elevation

This three-bay elevation has a gable to the centre bay and slightly advanced outer bays. The left bay is obscured at lower level by the adjoining three-bay, low two-storey Zetland tomb. The centre bay has, at ground floor, a shallow machicolated and crenellated porch with Tudor-arched opening flanked by narrow lancet lights. Above is a four-light loop traceried and transomed window, with a dividing cornice and blind roundel to the gable.

The Zetland tomb has bays divided by buttresses with gabled niches to the lower stages. At ground floor is a timber-studded door in a Tudor-arched roll-moulded opening, with simple raised shields to the outer bays. A chamfered band course divides ground and first floors. At first floor, the centre bay has a hoodmoulded pointed-arched niche containing the Dundas coat of arms in high relief; the outer bays have two-light cusped pointed-arched hoodmoulded windows.

To the far left, the greatly recessed east elevation of the 1892 transeptal addition is a two-storey, three-bay elevation, advanced to the centre and right bays. At ground floor, the left bay has a bipartite window with cusped pointed-arched lights; the right bay has a large pointed-arched opening. At first floor, the left and right bays have lancet lights; the centre has a cusped lancet light to a half storey with a lancet above, both set within a pointed over-arch.

South Elevation

This five-bay, two-storey elevation has modern 1996 halls adjoining to the far left and a single-bay gable end of the Zetland tomb to the far right. The centre bay is greatly advanced and gabled. Ground floor flanking bays are advanced and parapeted; at first floor the outer bays are slightly advanced.

At ground floor, the centre bay has paired bipartite windows with cusped-headed lights. The flanking bays have tripartite windows with cusped heads. The Zetland tomb has a blind pointed-arched window with three cusped lights with panel tracery above and a head-stopped hoodmould, flanked by buttresses with gabled niches.

At first floor, the centre bay has a pointed-arched three-light window with geometric tracery and three blind cusped panels beneath.

West Elevation

This three-bay elevation is concealed at ground floor by adjoining modern halls. The outer bays are slightly advanced. The centre bay has a four-light loop traceried and transomed window above a dividing cornice, with a blind roundel to the gable.

To the far right, the greatly recessed east elevation of the 1892 transeptal addition is a two-storey, three-bay elevation. At ground floor, a large pointed-arched opening occupies the left bay; an inset pilastered and broken pedimented memorial panel stands to the right. At first floor, each bay has a lancet light.

Tower

The corniced square-plan tower is largely obscured. The upper octagonal belfry stage has round-arched key-blocked openings, alternately louvred and louvered with glazing below. It is topped by a swept octagonal slated spire with lead finial and weathervane. The tower houses a thirteen-bell carillon cast at Baltimore in 1926.

The north elevation has, at ground floor (inside the porte-cochère), a timber-panelled door with wrought iron hinges and lancetted fanlight in a roll-moulded pointed-arched opening. The east elevation has a single slit window and two blocked openings. The west elevation has two mullioned windows with two shouldered lights. The north elevation is not visible.

Interior

The interior was renovated by George Deas Page between 1878 and 1883. A vestibule in the base of the tower leads to the main auditorium through a timber-panelled and stained glass door set in a Neo-Classical war memorial doorpiece installed in 1923, with an engraved stone tablet above. The flanking walls have doorways leading to curved passageways. The west wall has a classical monument with marble relief to Reverend John B Paterson by Alexander Ritchie, 1838. The east wall has a Gothic monument to Reverend William Begg by J and G Mossman.

The west passageway contains, ex situ, a pair of effigies (a knight and a lady, possibly later 16th century) and a graveslab with Latin inscription dated 1600. The east passageway contains, ex situ, a pair of effigies (a knight and a lady, possibly mid-15th century), a graveslab with carved shield and Latin inscription (probably commemorating Alexander, fifth Lord Livingston, circa 1550), a roof boss carved with the Livingston arms (probably from the vaulted roof of the medieval church), and a crosshead. From both passageways, curved stone stairs with cast iron balusters lead to the gallery.

The main auditorium has a raking horseshoe gallery on timber Roman Doric columns. The north wall has a Jacobean oak pulpit from 1896 with a gilded finial from an earlier pulpit of 1811 or 1826, flanked by wooden organ screens from 1992 masking the organ pipes. The organ is by Forster and Andrews, 1892, rebuilt in 1950. The auditorium has timber box pews, a large Gothic ceiling rose (probably 1811), and a deep roll-moulded ceiling cornice.

Stained glass windows flanking the pulpit on the north wall depict Abel, Abraham, Moses and David to the left and the Good Samaritan to the right, by Christopher Whall, 1896. The west and east walls have, to the centre, abstract stained glass windows by Ballantine and Allan, 1860–1, moved from the north wall in 1896.

Burial Ground

To the south-west stands a tall granite Celtic cross with fine carved pattern, commemorating the men of Bute killed in the first Battle of Falkirk in 1298, erected by the third Marquess of Bute in 1877.

To the south: the Monument to Sir John de Graeme (died 1298 at the Battle of Falkirk) is a table tomb of circa 1772 (restored 1860), enclosing three slabs of medieval, late 16th century and circa 1723 (by William Whyte) date. The whole is enclosed by a cast iron cage of 1860 with axe-headed railings, crocketted finials to the corners and a lion rampant to the top. The Monument to Sir Robert Munro of Foulis and Dr Duncan Munro of Obsdale, erected 1751, is a corniced pedestal surmounted by a small sarcophagus. The Monument to William Edmonstone of Cambuswallace and members of the Dollar family, late 19th century, is a red sandstone Jacobean-style tombchest.

To the north-east wall: to the right, a carved 18th century wall monument (now with 19th century inscriptions to the Wilson family) has attached columns and paired round-headed arches with cornice and pediment above. To the left, the monument to Patrick Murehead of Rashyhill and his wife Margaret Buchanan, both died 1723, is an aedicule with barley-sugar twist columns, segmental pediment, inscribed panel with foliate surround and prolific carved decoration.

Boundary Walls, Gates and Gatepiers

The boundary walls are largely formed by the rear elevations of adjoining buildings. To the east boundary are square-plan ashlar gatepiers with sunken pointed-arched panels, surmounted by cast iron lamp standards, with cast iron gates and flanking dwarf ashlar walls and ornate cast iron railing terminated by similar ashlar piers. To the north-east boundary is a pair of cast iron square-plan stop-chamfered gatepiers with ornate cast iron gate and a small stretch of matching railings. To the south-west boundary is a stone archway (listed separately).