Trinity Parish Church, Union Street, Larkhall

Trinity Parish Church, Union Street, Larkhall

A gable-ended, galleried Latin-cross plan church in stylised Gothic, designed by Alexander Cullen around 1900. The building is constructed in bull-faced cream sandstone ashlar with polished dressings, featuring a 3-stage square-plan tower to the outer right and a 2-storey stair projection to the outer left. Base and string courses define the composition, which is articulated with pointed-arched openings, chamfered and moulded reveals, hoodmoulds, and stepped and gabletted angle buttresses. A modern rectangular-plan church hall is sited to the right (south-east) of the church with a linking section from the east transept.

The principal (east) elevation features a central, wide moulded doorpiece with a pointed arch spanning two flat ogee-arched doorways; blind geometric tracery fills the tympanum. Two pairs of 2-leaf timber panelled doors open to the interior, flanked by two small deep-set windows. Above, a 5-light curvilinear traceried window with narrow lights flanking occupies the gable, with a deep-set circular light to the gable apex. Two narrow windows set high to the stair projection to the left break the composition, which concludes with coped battlements.

The tower displays diagonal stepped angle buttresses and string courses dividing the stages. Openings are chamfered and pointed-arched with hoodmoulds. A square-headed window marks the first stage; a single plate traceried window at the second stage is inscribed with an apparent memorial stone laid by M. J. C. M. Steven Esq in 1899. Paired louvered openings occupy the third stage, and a battlemented parapet crowns the tower.

The north (side) elevation comprises six bays grouped 3-1-1-1. An advanced gabled transept to the centre displays a 3-light traceried window. Windows divided by buttresses appear in each bay to the left. A recessed pointed-arched doorway sits below the battlemented parapet in the bay to the right of centre, fitted with a 2-leaf timber panelled door with a traceried fanlight. A 3-light window pierces the gabled vestry bay to the outer right.

The south (side) elevation contains five bays grouped 1-3-1. Windows divided by buttresses occupy each bay to the centre. High-set windows appear in each side of the canted stair projection to the right, with a ground-level window to the right. A window pierces the advanced gabled transept bay to the outer left.

The west (rear) elevation is regularly fenestrated, with a single-storey pitched vestry spanning the rear of the church. Blind slits occupy the gableheads of the main church behind the vestry gables.

Fixed, leaded stained glass windows, some fitted with hopper mechanisms, light the interior. The roof is finished in green slate with a red clay ridge; the vestry addition carries slate. Ashlar skews articulate the gables, and cast-iron rainwater goods complete the external fabric.

The interior is notable for its hammer-beam roof with carved trefoil-headed struts and herringbone boarded panels between. A carved timber blind arcaded gallery at the east end rests on columnar supports. Timber panelling carved as blind arcade runs along the east wall below the gallery, incorporating two evenly disposed 2-leaf timber panelled and stained glass doors. Barleysugar iron banisters and a timber handrail rise along a stone flight to the gallery; boarded dado work enhances the walls. A pointed chancel arch with two flanking arches defines the east end. Wide pointed arches open to shallow transepts to the north and south. A carved timber organ screen in two sections occupies the east end: the lower section consists of a blind arcade with florately carved panels above; an ogee-arched, gothically detailed pipe frame crowns the composition. An open timber screen further defines the chancel. An open arcaded and highly carved communion table, a blind arcaded pulpit and minister's chair, and timber pews with boarded backs furnish the space.

Octagonal-plan sandstone ashlar gatepiers with square-headed motif to stepped pyramidal caps stand at the entrance. Tapered hexagonal lamps on sinuous open supports rise above (the lamp to the right is missing). Low bull-faced sandstone walls with curved ashlar cope and wrought-iron railings and gates define the boundary.