Old Parish Church, Main Street, Thornton

Dated 1835; builder James Robertson. James Gillespie & Scott, 1897, transepts added and windows replaced; chancel area altered 1959.

T plan, gabled Quoad Sacra Parish Church for Markinch. Squared and snecked rubble with droved ashlar quoins and stone cills. Round headed openings, keystones and voussoirs.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: advanced gable to right of centre with 2 tall round headed windows and blocked arrow slit at gablehead, recessed bay to left with further tall round headed window at centre and headstone (see Notes) to right; low, further recessed piend roofed porch to outer left with 2 leaf, panelled timber door.

S ELEVATION: low porch with small coloured glass window projecting at centre; datestone above and gablehead bellcote, each face pierced with 4 holes.

W ELEVATION: advanced gable to left with 2 tall round headed windows and arrow slit at gablehead. Later hall (not included in listing) clutching to outer left. Recessed face to right with small window to outer right below shouldered brick stack and tall round headed window to left.

N ELEVATION: symmetrical, 3 bay. Slightly advanced, broad gable at centre with 2 round headed windows, glazed oculus at centre above and ball finial at gablehead; further tall round headed windows in bays to right and left of centre (that to right part blocked by extension). Low pitch roofed porch and hall across bays to centre and right.

Leaded, small pane coloured glazing to all tall windows. Stained glass (see below) to 2 windows at centre N and vestibule window to S. Grey slates. Shouldered and coped brick stack with polygonal can, ashlar coped skews, bolection moulded and ball finials. Cast iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers.

INTERIOR: vestibule with boarded timber dado, small stained glass window and gallery stair to E. Nave with chancel area to N with steps up to centre pulpit (Gillespie & Scott, 1934) and round headed rear board flanked by marble memorial stones below stained glass windows. Panelled gallery to S and broad transeptal arches to E and W. Timber pews with small 2 leaf gates at centre of outermost transeptal pews; carved communion table and lectern with panelled pulpit. N window of

W transept part blinded with marble memorial stone at base.

Stained glass windows to N by Douglas Hogg, 1972: themes of Creation (to left) including flowers, birds and butterflies around Jesus with Mary, Joseph and Wise Men; and Resurrection (to right) showing risen Christ and Good Samaritan with wounded man on his donkey. Window to

S (in vestibule) 1985, showing Church of Scotland burning bush.

BOUNDARY WALLS: semicircular coped and ashlar coped random rubble boundary walls with inset modern (1982) wrought iron railings, gates with wording 'THORNTON PARISH CHURCH' and fish gate stops (see Notes).