Viewfield Baptist Church And Hall, East Port, Dunfermline

Viewfield Baptist Church and Hall, East Port, Dunfermline

A Gothic Revival church designed by Peter L Henderson and built between 1882 and 1884, with a western extension added in 1949. The building is a rectangular structure oriented north to south, comprising a square-plan church with a galleried nave built over a basement church hall. A lower chancel enclosed within a slightly lower section to the south incorporates a staircase and ancillary offices.

The structure is built in coursed rockfaced sandstone with droved sandstone ashlar dressings and polished ashlar details. It features a base course to the church at ground floor level, a cill course to the principal windows, and band courses forming hood-moulds over the principal windows to the east and west elevations, continuing across low parapets and towards the apex of each gable. Most openings have long and short sandstone surrounds, and the gables are coped.

The principal north elevation features a shallow gabled porch at the centre with steps leading up to a pair of entrances set back within a moulded Gothic archway flanked by three pairs of nook-shafts. The outer moulding carries carved stops. The ashlar surrounds to the entrances are richly decorated with carved foliage, and the tympanum above displays a multi-foil panel with a carved cherub bust at the centre. The porch doors are diagonally boarded timber with elaborate strap hinges. A trefoil-headed niche with single flanking nook-shafts sits at the apex of the porch, which extends as a lean-to section to either side below the gable, each with a lancet window to the outer return.

The principal gabled bay is set back slightly, with lancet windows featuring roll-moulded surrounds on either side of the porch and a basement window below that to the right. A double-arched blind arcade flanks the porch gable. At the apex sits a large hood-moulded tripartite window arrangement with a central window at a higher level, all featuring geometric tracery at the head. A pair of narrow ventilation openings appears at the head of the gable above, with a foliate cross finial at the apex. Carved roundels sit at the base of the gable on either side; that to the left is inscribed with the date 1883. The main body of the building is set back slightly with lean-to sections at lower level to either side, each featuring a hood-moulded entrance with roll-moulded surround and a tympanum with plain carved roundel, together with diagonally boarded timber doors with elaborate strap hinges. A semicircular-plan stairtower projects to the outer left, rising to just above the level of the lean-to, with a band course adjoining it at eaves level.

The east elevation is built into sloping ground. The main four-bay body of the church occupies the right side, with a lower-height single-bay ancillary section adjoining to the left. The outer right bay of the main section is occupied by the semicircular-plan stairtower at basement and lower levels. Three bays at basement level feature mullioned and transomed windows with pointed upper lights: the central bay has six lights while the flanking bays have four lights each. Above these are hood-moulded two-light mullioned windows with pointed lights to each of three bays. The semicircular-plan bay to the outer right displays three lancet windows. A pair of geometric traceried windows, each with a central mullion, appears to the centre of the upper level. The gable above features a cusped ventilation opening at the head. Gabled dormer windows to the outer flanking bays each have simplified geometric tracery; that to the right, above the semicircular-plan stairtower, is shorter. An entrance with a replacement boarded timber door sits to the right of the ancillary section adjoining to the left, with a central window above and a pair of windows to the top level. The bottom corner of the wall is chamfered to the outer left.

The west elevation is also built into sloping ground. The main four-bay body of the church occupies the left, with a lower-height single-bay ancillary section adjoining to the right. A mid-20th century L-plan two-storey harled and rockfaced sandstone toilet extension obscures most of the lower part of the outer left bay. The side of the lean-to section of the principal north elevation appears to the outer left, with a small ventilation opening to the basement and a lancet window above. Three bays to the right feature mullioned and transomed windows with pointed upper lights at basement level: the central bay has six lights while the flanking bays have four lights each. Above these are hood-moulded two-light mullioned windows with pointed lights to each of three bays. A pair of geometric traceried windows, each with a central mullion, appears to the centre of the upper level. The gable above features a cusped ventilation opening at the head. Gabled dormer windows to the outer flanking bays of the main body each have simplified geometric tracery. A basement window serves the ancillary section adjoining to the right, with a six-light mullioned and transomed window above featuring an upper central light in Palladian manner, and a pair of windows to the top level.

The south elevation displays irregular fenestration to the ancillary section. A pair of entrances to the right of the basement includes both replacement timber doors, one louvred and one boarded, with flanking windows. A small lean-to sits to the outer left. A pair of windows to the outer right of the level above, with a small window to the left. A large eight-light mullioned and transomed stair window with a stepped cill sits to the centre above, with a small window to the left. A shouldered gable set back above the centre of the main body of the church contains a window to its centre.

The roof is finished in grey slate with red ridge tiles, the main ridge axes forming a cross above the main body of the church with an octagonal base of a former cupola or spirelet at the centre. The lower-height ancillary section and the gabled dormers have piended roofs, with terracotta finials to the rear of the dormers. Most windows are fixed multi-pane leaded windows, some with ventilation panels, while basement windows and others are mainly two-pane timber sash and case windows.

The interior layout and fittings are largely intact. A U-plan gallery is supported on cast-iron columns, some rising through the gallery to support the roof with ornate foliate capitals at the upper level. The boarded timber roof features timber rib vaults supported on ornamental stone corbels. Flanking columns with foliate capitals sit at the chancel recess, with the outer moulding of the arch featuring stops carved as dragons. The nave windows display coloured glass borders and chequered patterning. Original boarded timber pews fill the interior throughout, with diagonally-boarded timber panels to the bracketed projecting front of the gallery. A clock sits at the centre of the gallery. The vestibule is tiled with flanking stone staircases, one featuring a cast-iron balustrade with timber handrail (one turnpike stair). A large organ with timber panelling sits to the rear of the chancel recess, probably installed around 1930. The present detached timber pulpit is of similar date.