Reston Church Of Scotland, Main Street, Reston

Dated 1879 and opened in 1880, Reston Church of Scotland is a plain Early English style church with later alterations. It is a rectangular building with a single-story vestry adjoined at the rear. The church is constructed from squared whinstone rubble, with parts featuring rake-jointed detailing, and has cream sandstone ashlar dressings. A base course is visible, along with eaves courses on the east and west sides. Sandstone quoins define the corners, and the windows have long and short sandstone surrounds with pointed arches, chamfered openings, sandstone mullions, and chamfered cills. Plate tracery is incorporated into the windows.

The north (entrance) elevation features steps leading to a projecting gabled entrance. This section has a boarded timber, pointed-arched double door with decorative iron hinges, a chamfered surround, and a finialled gablehead. Large windows with plate tracery are set on either side of the entrance, each with a pointed-arched hoodmould and circular stops. Above the entrance is an arched panel dated '1879,' featuring an ogee-shaped hoodmould, circular stops, and a decorative finial. A buttressed and gabled bellcote tops the gablehead, housing a bell.

The west (side) elevation is symmetrical with five bays. A gabled dormerhead tops a large, plate-traceried window that breaks the eaves in the centre, and single windows are in the remaining bays to the left and right. The vestry is recessed to the outer right.

The south (rear) elevation features a projecting single-story vestry at the centre. Squat, plate-traceried windows are set on either side above, each with a pointed-arched hoodmould and circular stops. A blind tripartite opening is centred in the surmounting gablehead.

The east (side) elevation mirrors the west, with a symmetrical five-bay design and a gabled dormerhead above the large, plate-traceried window breaking the eaves. Single windows are in the remaining bays to the left and right, and the vestry is recessed to the outer left.

The church primarily has modern timber glazing and a grey slate roof with decorative ridging. Stone-coped skews are also present. A sandstone apex stack is located on the south side, and various circular cans are visible.

Inside, the church has a flat-roofed, rectangular-plan vestibule with a bipartite, pointed-arched window to the south. Part-glazed timber doors provide access to the nave from the east and west, which was designed to seat 250. The floor is boarded timber, with a boarded timber dado and a combed ceiling featuring timber beams, carved springers, and iron cross-beams. There are timber pews, including two pairs of box pews flanking the pulpit. Numerous wall plaques adorn the interior. The panelled pulpit is centrally located on the south wall, with a side stair leading to the vestry. A communion table and minister’s chair, originally from Langton Free Church, are also present. A lectern was donated in 1993.

Rubble-coped rubble boundary walls partially enclose the site. Corniced, square-plan gatepiers flank the entrance, supporting two-leaf iron gates.