Houndwood Church

Houndwood Church

Houndwood Church is a classical church that opened in 1836 and underwent significant alterations in 1903, with further additions made afterwards. It is a single-storey building of symmetrical design, measuring five bays by two bays in a quadrangular plan. The church is distinguished by a projecting two-stage square-plan bell tower centred at the front elevation. A flat-roofed porch is recessed to the west, while a taller flat-roofed chancel is recessed to the east. A piended vestry and various single-storey additions are positioned at the rear.

The walls are constructed of whinstone and red sandstone rubble with red sandstone dressings. A base course and moulded eaves run around the building. Narrow quoin strips frame the elevations, with tooled quoins and long and short surrounds applied to round-arched, keystoned openings. Bracketed cills support the windows. The upper stage of the bell tower features cream sandstone ashlar dressings, pilastered quoins, and overhanging mutuled eaves.

The south entrance elevation shows the bell tower projecting at the centre with a large window at ground level and a squat square-headed window above it. A louvred belfry opening with a roundel below is centred at the upper stage. The nave behind is lit by large single windows in two recessed bays to the outer left and right. A corniced flat-roofed porch recessed to the outer left contains a two-leaf timber panelled door at its centre with a round-arched timber panelled upper section above. A single window appears in the corniced chancel recessed to the outer right.

The west side elevation displays a two-bay nave with a single window in a flat-roofed porch projecting at the centre. Large windows occupy the recessed bays to left and right. The bell tower is recessed to the outer right with a two-leaf timber panelled door positioned off-centre to the left of its base, topped by a round-arched timber panelled upper section. A louvred belfry opening with a roundel below is centred at the upper stage. Various single-storey additions are recessed to the outer left.

The north rear elevation presents a blind nave wall with a projecting vestry offset to the left of centre. Various single-storey additions occupy the right side. A corniced chancel recessed to the outer left has a single-storey addition in the re-entrant angle to its front. A blind elevation of the flat-roofed porch is recessed to the outer right.

The east side elevation features a large tripartite window centred in the projecting corniced chancel. The nave is set behind with a single-storey addition in a re-entrant angle to the right. A piended vestry is recessed to the outer right with a lean-to addition at its front. The bell tower is recessed to the outer left with a louvred belfry opening centred at the upper stage and a roundel below.

The windows are predominantly opaque-glazed, stained and leaded. Grey slate piended roofs cover the building. A tall brick-built wallhead stack with circular cans stands at the rear.

The interior displays classical decoration and furnishings. A rubble-walled vestibule with a two-leaf timber panelled door provides access to the nave. The simple interior comprises a boarded timber floor, timber panelled dado, and timber pews including family pews to the west. A plain cornice runs around the space, with a flat ceiling featuring a decorative rose and plain circular panels, supplemented by modern light fittings. A large depressed-arched chancel arch centred in the east wall is embellished with fluted Corinthian angle pilasters and a central keystone. The raised chancel features a pedimented tripartite window centred in its east wall with pilastered mullions. A timber panelled communion table and chairs are positioned in place. A polygonal timber panelled pulpit stands with bracketed, decoratively capitalled fluted columns and a dentilled cornice. A sandstone font with a columnar base and foliate frieze beneath a circular bowl completes the furnishings. A steel bell inscribed "Naylor Vickers & Co Sheffield 1862" hangs in the tower.

An irregular-plan graveyard opened in 1901 adjoins the church and contains various gravestones. Rubble walls partially enclose the site, and plain red sandstone gatepiers with two-leaf timber gates mark the entrance.