Newtongrange Parish Church, Main Street, Newtongrange

Newtongrange Parish Church, designed by A Murray Hardie and constructed between 1939 and 1942, is a modern harled church that combines contemporary materials with traditional architectural details. The building sits prominently on Main Street, with an adjoining church hall dating from 1935.

The church itself is distinguished by a crowstepped bell tower, dormer windows, flying buttresses, and a deep sloping green slate roof with clay ridge tiles and raised skews to the east gable and north transept gables with skewputts. Long and short concrete surrounds frame all windows except the dormer and north transept windows, and a concrete base course runs around the building. Cast-iron rainwater goods complete the external detailing.

The west elevation features an advanced four-staged tower with a recessed, arched two-leaf door inscribed with a cross on its keystone. Single windows occupy the second stage, while the fourth stage contains a lancet window flanked by rectangular timber louvred openings. Bays flank the entrance, each with a single window and long and short concrete quoins.

The north elevation displays a window at the third stage of the tower and a rectangular window with flanking timber louvred openings at the fourth stage. Three nave windows are supported by four stepped flying buttresses. The north transept gable contains three lancet windows with one in the right return. Two gabled dormers sit wholly within the roof line, each with two lancet windows with sills. An extension with irregular fenestration connects the church to the hall.

The east elevation features an advanced five-sided apse with three stained glass lancet windows. A lancet window with flanking timber louvred rectangular openings appears at the fourth stage of the tower.

The south elevation contains four windows supported by six stepped flying buttresses. Three gabled dormers sit wholly in the roof, each with two lancet windows with sills. Windows appear at the third and fourth stages of the tower, the latter with flanking timber louvred rectangular openings. A single storey harled building connects the church to the hall. The roof has overhanging eaves with shoulders to the entrance.

The interior is arranged with a timber internal porch leading to a plain entrance with red sandstone walls. The central door and right door open into the church, which has a stone floor and bare sandstone lower walls painted white above. A bare stone wall faces west. Arcades to north and south are supported by sandstone piers with recessed arches; stone corbels support the far west arches on the west wall. Open timber roof construction features tie beam trusses with queen posts and arched braces. Tiered stone steps rise to the north aisle, while further steps lead to the apse, which is crowned by an arched roof above the altar. Pulpits flank the altar to right and left, with a font and communion table. A plaque marks the laying of the first foundation stone in 1939 within the apse. Three coloured glass windows illuminate the apse, and a bronze plaque commemorates Rev Alex Hardie, the first minister of Newtongrange parish.

The Church Hall, constructed in 1935, is a rectangular structure at the rear of the church rendered in rough harl with concrete window cills, base course at the entrance, and coped gables. The south entrance elevation features an advanced porch with an arched doorway and concrete surrounds; a two-leaf door is topped by a coped gablehead with skewputts and a square finial. Flat-roofed bays flank the entrance, each with a single window. A ventilation slit with concrete dressings appears in the south gable apex behind the porch, which has a kneelered gable. A door in the flat-roofed extension to the far right has a projecting surround that tapers to ground with concrete coping to the wall head.

The west elevation displays regularly placed pilasters and windows beneath a corbelled eaves course. The north elevation has a piend vestry extension projecting from the hall's north gable to the transept, with a door and irregular fenestration. A rectangular opening in the gable apex is part-timbered and louvred. The east elevation features regularly placed pilasters and truncated windows with a corbelled eaves course and a square rendered chimney projecting from the wall. A flat-roofed addition with regular fenestration includes two recessed bays on the right, a door in the right return, and steps leading to a basement.

The hall roof is green slate with clay ridge tiles and a central louvred octagonal ventilator topped with an ogee roof, spike, and ball finial.

The hall's interior comprises a large hall painted green with an arched roof, timber cornice, and timber floor. A stage occupies the north end.

The boundary comprises a low concrete plinth (brick to the north), intermittently raised to support plain cast-iron railings. A taller brick wall to the southeast and east has rounded concrete coping.