North Church, Main Street, Chirnside

North Church, Main Street, Chirnside

North Church is a former Free Church built in 1898 on the site of a previous church. It has been converted for use as a community centre in the later 20th century. The building is set prominently on a corner site and presents a near-rectangular plan with a plain gothic character.

The principal west elevation is nearly symmetrical and gabled. It features a 3-bay gabled projection at the centre that breaks the eaves line. A projecting central gablehead is surmounted by a polygonal sandstone belfry with small openings in alternate facets and a tapering sandstone spire. To the right is a 2-storey recessed bay, and to the left of centre is a further 2-storey recessed bay. Buttresses flank the outer edges of the central projection.

The building is constructed in squared and snecked tooled cream sandstone with sandstone ashlar dressings. Tooled rubble is used at the rear. Projecting string courses run across the front elevation at ground and upper floors, with moulded eases courses throughout. The quoins are droved, as are the long and short surrounds to all pointed-arched openings. Cills are chamfered.

The west elevation contains small windows in all three bays at ground level. Above, three large windows are linked by hoodmoulds with carved foliate stops. The 2-storey bay to the right has a centred 2-leaf timber panelled door with decorative iron hinges at ground floor, above which is a blocked pointed-arched fanlight with a hoodmould featuring carved foliate stops and a small window aligned above. A chamfered corner to the outer right contains a single small window at upper floor. The 2-storey bay to the left of centre has small single windows centred at both floors, with a chamfered corner to the outer left containing a single small window at upper floor.

The north elevation comprises six bays. A projecting 3-sided tower breaking the eaves line stands to the outer right, with a small single window centred at ground level and single windows in all bays above. The former nave to the left has pointed-arched windows in all four bays, with off-set buttresses to left and right. A gabled bay breaking the eaves line stands to the outer left, featuring a large window at ground level with a blocked trefoil head and a circular opening with blocked quatrefoil centred in the gablehead.

The east (rear) elevation is 2-bay with large pointed-arched windows in both bays. A single-storey ancillary block is positioned to the outer left.

The south elevation mirrors the north elevation, comprising six bays with a projecting 3-sided tower breaking the eaves line to the outer left with a small single window centred at ground and single windows in all bays above. The former nave to the right has pointed-arched windows in all bays with an off-set buttress to the left of centre. A single-storey porch linking the ancillary block is off-set to the right. A gabled bay breaking the eaves to the outer right features a large trefoil-headed window at ground level and a circular opening centred in the gablehead.

Predominantly opaque glazing is used throughout, though some windows retain stained and leaded glass. The roof is steeply pitched grey slate with red tile ridging. Stone-coped skews with double-bracketed skewputts are present, and there is a corniced apex stack at the rear.

Interior

The interior has been converted for community centre use whilst retaining essential ecclesiastical character. A vestibule contains Tudor-arched timber panelled doors. A stair set in the north tower comprises timber treads, balustered uprights, and a timber handrail. The former nave has a boarded timber floor and boarded timber dado panelling with painted walls above. The west end is galleried with bracketed columns beneath a full-width timber panelled balcony, part infilled at ground level and enclosed above. A clock is positioned at the centre. The ceiling is of open timber construction with scrolled sandstone corbels.

Ancillary Block

The single-storey ancillary block comprises four bays with a porch recessed to the outer left. It is constructed in squared and snecked tooled cream sandstone with projecting cills. The west (entrance) elevation has regularly spaced single windows in all four bays. A timber door recessed to the outer left has a fanlight above, and the windows are 4-pane timber sash and case. A grey slate piended roof covers the structure. The interior features timber dado panelling and timber panelled doors.

Boundary Wall

A low coped rubble wall encloses the site to the front, with squat piers flanking the entrance.