Parish Church, Poolewe

The Parish Church at Poolewe was built in 1828 to a design by Thomas Telford, with plans and specifications prepared by the contractor, James Smith. It is a Parliamentary Church constructed of rubble on its south elevation, finished with heavy cement pointing, harl on the flanks and rear, and dressed in tooled ashlar. The church follows a T-shaped plan, featuring segmental-headed entrances in the outer bays and paired windows in the centre, with similar gable windows and a matching design to the rear wing. The windows contain standard wooden Y-mullioned frames with transoms and lattice glazing. A bellcote sits at the apex of the west gable, and a finial is located at the east. The roof is covered in slate. The interior has been altered by some internal partitioning, changing the original layout, but the building remains in ecclesiastical use. The Quoad Sacra parish of Poolew was established in 1833. James Smith, the architect and contractor, was responsible for constructing several Highland Parliamentary Churches while Telford was absent. The church’s design is representative of a standard Parliamentary Church model. Further information and illustrations can be found in Telford's Atlas (1838), George Hay’s The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches (1957), and Howard Colvin’s A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects (1978).