St Abbs Church, St Abbs

This is a Norman-style church, built in 1892 and renovated in 1947. It is a symmetrical building consisting of a three-by-six bay, rectangular nave, a three-stage, square tower at the front, and lean-to projections on either side at ground level, along with a single-story, gabled vestry attached to the rear. The church is constructed of coursed, lightly bull-faced red sandstone from the Swinton quarry, with sandstone ashlar dressings. Features include a stepped base course, a moulded eaves course, and a corbelled parapet to the tower. Ashlar quoins are present, along with long and short surrounds to chamfered, round-arched openings, and chamfered cills.

The main (east) elevation features a projecting three-stage tower with a deep-set, two-leaf boarded timber door at ground level, featuring decorative iron hinges and a roll-moulded surround topped with a hoodmould and block label stops. A small oculus is positioned above the door, and two louvred belfry windows are at the upper floor, with a clock face centred below the parapet. Single windows are incorporated into the flanking lean-to additions, with the taller nave set behind.

The north (side) elevation has regularly placed windows. The tower is recessed to the outer left, with a single window in the front lean-to projection and two louvred belfry windows centred at the upper floor. The gabled vestry is recessed to the outer right, also with a single window.

The west (rear) elevation has a single window in the gabled vestry and a rose window centred in the nave.

The south (side) elevation is also regularly fenestrated. The tower is recessed to the right, with a single window in the lean-to projection, a basement opening offset to the left, and two louvred belfry windows centred at the upper floor. The gabled vestry is recessed to the outer left, with a boarded timber door and letterbox fanlight in one bay, and a single window to the left.

The windows are predominantly border-glazed with diagonally-leaded glass, some of which is decorative stained glass. Small rooflights are also present. The roof is covered in red tiles with decorative ridging, and the tower has a shallow pyramidal cap topped with a wind vane. Stone-coped skews are present, along with gabletted skewputts with moulded brackets. Cast-iron rainwater goods are used throughout.

The interior is plain in design. A vestibule provides access to the nave via segmental-arched, timber panelled doors on the north and south sides. The church was originally designed to accommodate 390 people. Notable interior features include pitched pine woodwork, an open timber hammerbeam roof supported on sandstone springers, a boarded timber floor and dado, and timber pews. A panelled pulpit is centred on the west wall, with flanking stairs. A timber communion table, chairs, and font are also present, along with various wall memorials. A pair of decorative brass oil lamp holders are located at the rear.

The site is partially enclosed by coped rubble walls, with the remainder enclosed by plain iron railings. Later quadrant walls flank the entrance, leading to pyramidal-capped, square-plan gatepiers, from which the gates are now missing.