Churchyard With James Bruce Monument, Larbert Old Church

The churchyard of Larbert Old Church is an irregular, multi-period cemetery, partially enclosed by a boundary wall constructed of random rubble. It contains a diverse collection of grave markers, with features of considerable historical and artistic interest, dating from the 17th century onwards. A cast-iron obelisk, designed by William Haworth for the Carron Ironworks in the late 18th century, commemorates James Bruce. This obelisk stands on a rectangular plinth with ropework edges, featuring long inscriptions on its side panels and four lions couchant with bared teeth at the corners, which support the obelisk itself. The obelisk is capped by a simplified replacement of an original classical everlasting lamp, and features oval reliefs depicting goddesses on either side.

The Carron Enclosure is a large, irregular enclosure built on a sloping site and enclosed by a retaining wall topped with spear-headed cast-iron railings and scrolled brackets. Three steps lead to a gate on the south side. Within this enclosure stands a Distyle Doric temple mausoleum of channelled sandstone ashlar, approached by three steps to the portico, and featuring a cast-bronze door, a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and a memorial to William Dawson on an inscribed plinth. An 1825 urn stands on a tall fluted column, commemorating Joseph Stanton, alongside the graves of other Carron Ironworks managers, several sarcophagi-shaped tombs and a brown marble Celtic Cross dated 1867.

The Elphinstone and Dundas Enclosure is roughly square in plan and enclosed by a random rubble boundary wall with an ashlar coping and a plain iron gate. A date stone inscribed "1663" is set above the former entrance on the east wall, accompanied by several memorial stones, the earliest of which dates to 1640. Numerous other family enclosures are present, predominantly enclosed with spear-headed railings within low coped boundary walls, and featuring large, imposing grave stones.

A significant collection of cast-iron grave markers, primarily from the Sun Foundry in the later 19th century, are scattered throughout the churchyard, frequently embedded within arched cast-iron frames, although many are now in poor condition. A rare cast-iron obelisk to George and Elizabeth Smith (died 1833) is located near the center of the churchyard, also in poor condition. A range of other gravestones are present, including examples from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as numerous stones from the 19th and 20th centuries, in varying styles, sizes and qualities. These include several lying slabs and obelisks.

The boundary wall facing the church is constructed of coped random rubble and features ashlar, pyramidal-capped gate piers. The boundary wall facing the road is of squared snecked sandstone and is punctuated by coped ashlar gate piers and decorative two-leaf cast-iron gates by the Sun Foundry. The churchyard is now partially located within a car park near the south-east corner.