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Summary

Description

William Kelly, of Kelly and Nicol, 1897-1900. Scots medieval gothic T-plan church, aisled with clerestory, short chancel and transepts. Squared and snecked dark grey granite with contrasting light grey dressings, finely finished to margins. Base course; band course.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; gabled bay to centre, broad chamfered segmental arched splayed doorway with windows to inside returns, 2-leaf segmental-arched boarded timber door with iron hinges, 3 pointed-arched windows lighting gallery above, 2 small lancets set in gablehead, tooled stone finial to apex, buttresses flanking to left and right, 1902 sundial to centre of right buttress; tripartite window to ground floor of flanking bay to right, 3 small trefoil-headed windows with blind tympana under eaves. Square-plan, 3-stage tower adjoining to right, 3 windows to 1st stage, panelled timber door with arrowslit window flanking to right of left return; 2 arrowslit stair windows to 2nd stage; bipartite window with relieving arch to left return; louvred deeply chamfered pointed-arched openings to each elevation of 3rd stage, crenellated coped parapet, with slate spire, with decorative cast-iron finial.

E ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 8-bay; lean-to roofed aisle advanced to ground floor of centre 5 bays, 4 tripartite windows, flanked to left by bipartite window, gabled bay to right with tripartite window, 7 bipartite windows to clerestory above; gabled bay advanced to outer left with pair of trefoil headed windows and blind quatrefoil set in gablehead; addition advanced to ground floor of bay to outer right, with bipartite window flanked to right by single window, 4-light round-arched chancel window with curvilinear tracery above. 1956-57 church hall adjoining to far right.

N ELEVATION: gabled; ground floor obscured by mid 20th century church hall; 4-light round-arched chancel window with curvilinear tracery above; early 20th century addition adjoining to right at ground floor (see below).

W ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 8-bay; 5-bay lean-to roofed aisle advanced to centre of ground floor, 4 tripartite windows flanked to right by bipartite window, gabled bay advanced to left, 3 ogee-headed windows with blind tympana to centre; early 20th century addition adjoining to left at ground floor, with 2-leaf boarded timber door flanked to right by 2-light gableted window breaking eaves with single window to left and right, left return harled; 4-light round-arched chancel window with curvilinear tracery above; tower adjoining to outer right (see above).

Predominantly small-pane leaded windows, some stained glass, including chancel window by Douglas Strachan. Grey slate roof with lead ridge. Coped stone skews with simple skewputts. Buttress breaking eaves in triple stack to E, circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative hoppers.

INTERIOR: broad panelled timber 2-leaf door with decoratively glazed panels leading to porch with leaded window looking into nave opposite, timber stairs to left and right leading to S gallery supported on circular columns with decorative capitals, with central organ flanked to left and right by gothic timber pipe cases by William Kelly. Segmental-arched boarded timber roof to nave with central strip of quatrefoil piercing and suspended simple iron chandeliers; geometric timber pews with trefoil-profiled finish; round-arched arcade deeply chamfered leading to side aisles to E and W; pointed chancel arch, with 4 stone steps to chancel, panelled with decoratively carved furniture and pulpit.

GATES, GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: square-plan granite gatepiers with chamfered angles to SW of church, 2-leaf decorative ironwork gates; Coped Aberdeen bond granite walls flanking; pedestrian gate to left of W wall.

Statement of Special Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. St Ninian's Church was erected, like Beechgrove Church (see separate listing) as part of the Extension Movement in Aberdeen, to serve what was a new residential district around Mid Stocket Road and Mile-End. William Kelly was appointed architect in 1897, and the foundation stone was laid by Lord Balfour of Burleigh on the 13th of October 1898. The church opened for worship on the 5th of September 1900, and had cost ?6000-?7000 in total. Gammie notes that "a new and striking addition had been made to the ecclesiastical architecture of the city" (Gammie, p66). Over the next few years Kelly designed various fittings for the church interior, and also gifted the sundial on the S gable in May 1902. In 1903 the fine chancel window by Douglas Strachan was gifted by the widow and son of Mr Archibald Coutts. The organ was installed in 1906, it has 1401 pipes and was made by E F Walcker and Co. of Ludwigsburg with cases by Kelly. In 1909 the new hall was added for a cost of ?250, this was then extended between 1956-57 by Mr A M Stewart at a cost of ?15,000.

References

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