War Memorial, St Machan's Parish Church, Church Street, Larkhall

War Memorial, St Machan's Parish Church, Church Street, Larkhall

St Machan's is a galleried church dated 1835 with its spire erected in the early 1860s and a second gallery storey added in 1888. It is built on sloping ground rising to the north-east and comprises a 2-storey rectangular-plan church with a square-plan 2-stage tower and octagonal spire at its centre. The building is constructed in polished cream sandstone ashlar with polished dressings. The base has a cavetto moulded cornice to a pediment and a coped blocking course. Ground floor windows have chamfered reveals and hoodmoulds, while first floor windows are square and traceried.

The tower is divided into two stages by a string course. The second stage features machicolation detail below the cornice, with gabled clocks displaying trefoil detail above on each side. A continuous hoodmould runs over the blank and louvered sides of the spire, which is decorated with alternating circular and trefoil motifs in its upper reaches and topped with a weather vane. The tower's pointed-arched openings have chamfered reveals, and gabletted angle buttresses appear at the first stage with pinnacled angle pilasters above.

The west principal elevation has the tower in a central bay with a window at first stage level. Steps lead to a pointed-arched doorway with a boarded door and fanlight on each side. At the second stage are 3-light windows (with a tall light to the centre) on each side, topped with crucifix motifs. Clocks sit at the base of the spire on each side. Ground floor windows are flanked by 3-light traceried windows at gallery floor level.

The east rear elevation features a gabled square-plan organ recess at its centre, with a 3-light window set high in the gabled projection and a crucifix finial above the gable head. A crucifix finial also crowns the main gable head set behind. Windows appear to the left and right returns, with ground floor windows and 3-light traceried windows to gallery level in the flanking bays.

The north side elevation is regularly fenestrated across 4 bays with single windows at ground level and 3-light windows at gallery level in three bays to the right. A slightly advanced gabled door at ground level with a 3-light window above occupies the outer left bay. The south side elevation is treated similarly, with a piended connecting projection to the church hall at the outer right.

Fixed stained and plain glass windows light the interior. The roof is of grey slate with ashlar coped skews and a tall ashlar coped stack to the south-east. Rainwater goods are cast-iron with some uPVC replacements.

The interior features a barrel vaulted roof over the nave with exposed tie beams. A timber-panelled U-shaped gallery with turned balusters runs continuously around the west end on cast-iron columnar supports, forming shallow aisles to the north and south. Clapboarding rises to dado height, with timber pews tiered to the gallery. A carved timber organ screen with exposed pipes stands at the east end, with steps leading to an octagonal timber-panelled and carved pulpit behind a carved altar rail. A portable timber lectern and octagonal font on a columnar cluster pedestal complete the furnishings, along with architraved and corniced timber-panelled and stained glass doors.

Adjacent to the south of the church is a rectangular-plan Church Hall, dated 1903 and designed by Alexander Cullen. This single-storey, 7-bay building features oriental details including a pagoda ridge vent and swept gablet to its pilasters. Bull-faced grey sandstone ashlar bands appear below stugged and snecked grey sandstone ashlar with droved dressings. A base course, eaves course with overhanging eaves and exposed rafters to the central section, cornice, and coped blocking course to gabled ends characterise the external treatment. Windows have chamfered reveals and hoodmoulds, with bays divided by oriental-style pilasters.

The west principal elevation divides into 1-5-1 bays, with windows in each bay. Square-headed 3-light traceried windows occupy the flanking advanced bays. A 6-step stone flight leads to a deep-set 2-leaf part-glazed boarded door in the right return of the right bay. The south side elevation is gabled with a transomed and mullioned 3-light window at the centre and a single window to the left. The east side elevation features a wide gabled wall with 5 basement lights at the centre and a 3-light mullioned window to the gable head above. A 2-leaf part-glazed boarded door and flanking timber door with bipartite window appear to the outer right.

The hall roof is of grey slate with horizontal continuous roof lights to each side, a red clay ridge, and an octagonal louvered ridge vent with spike finial. Plain bargeboards finish the gable sides, while fixed stained glass leaded windows provide light. uPVC rainwater goods with some cast-iron goods to the sides complete the exterior.

The hall interior comprises a timber-framed main space with exposed collar braces and tie beams on cast-iron supports. Part-glazed folding doors form screened enclosures at the south end, with a part-glazed folding screen separating the vestibule from the main hall. Clapboarding rises to dado height in the vestibule, and a corniced fire surround with Arts and Crafts heart motifs provides heating.

A war memorial in square plan forms a marble columnar monument commemorating World War II, sited on the slope in front of the church. It sits upon a battered bull-faced sandstone base with cornice and cap, inscribed with names on the west side.

Two sets of square-plan gatepiers rising to octagonal-plan gatepiers flank the left and right extremities of the site. These are built in polished cream sandstone ashlar with blind slits to every other side of the octagonal section and swept cornices. A bull-faced low wall with a tall upright at its centre features a ridged ashlar cope. Replaced wrought-iron railings and double gates complete the boundary treatment.