Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

RATHO VILLAGE, BAIRD ROAD, RATHO KIRK, ST MARY'S CHURCH WITH SESSION HOUSE, GRAVEYARD, WALLS AND GATEPIERSLB27685

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
A
Date Added
22/01/1971
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 13851 70994
Coordinates
313851, 670994

Description

12th century Romanesque church with substantial additions late 17th century, circa 1830 and earlier 20th century. Rectangular-plan with aisle additions to N and S. Squared sandstone for earliest masonry; coursed sandstone rubble for N aisles; squared and snecked sandstone with stugged quoins for 19th century build, and ashlar for 20th century additions. Pointed arch, Y-traceried windows; hoodmould over windows of S elevation; ashlar margins; chamfered arrises.

S (entrance) elevation: Circa 1830, 4-bay symmetrical S elevation consisting of 3 projecting gables of S aisle and recessed gabled porch bay to left and right; nave runs E-W behind. Droved sandstone porch at centre of aisle circa 1930, with ashlar half-piend roof; 2-leaf door with diamond-pane upper panels. Windows regularly placed at clerestorey level in gables (Y-tracery stone mullions). Cross finial at apex of centre gable. Window by re-entrant angle on E and W returns. Door at centre of recessed gabled porch bay; window above. On S wall of nave at junction with E porch blocked remains of half 12th century door; outer order survives; scalloped capital; saw-tooth hoodmould. Window immediately to outer left.

E elevation: large 3-light traceried window. About 11' above ground consecration cross about 4inches in diameter, 4 arms within an incised circle. Recessed to right is E return of N aisle; built as burial chamber of the Morton family. Ashlar chamfered margin; lintel inscribed "Anno S.D. AG.HF 1683". 2-leaf panelled door with diamond- pane fanlight.

W elevation: battered base course. Substantial late 13th or 14th century buttress at centre and lesser ones at either end of gable; String course above base level of centre buttress. Small, rectangular, deeply-set, windows flank centre buttress at clerestorey level (modern stained glass). Later square-section, round-arched ashlar birdcage bellcote (circa 1820) surmounts centre buttress. Bell manually operated; deep groove worn in buttress by bell-chain. Gablehead set back; stone coping. Recessed to right is W return of entrance porch. Recessed to left is W return of N aisles.

N elevation: nave with 17th century gabled aisles built to E. 3-bay nave to right of aisles; battered base course, square sandstone; reconstructed windows. Gabled aisle to left, random rubble with dressed quoins. Door at centre; chamfered ashlar margin continuing into overdoor of paired blocked arches with blocked oculus at spandrel. Flush 6-panelled door; 5-pane letter-box fanlight each pane with leaded diamond motif. Rectangular window opening with paired arched wooden windows to right of W return. Flat-roofed link block with ashlar cornice to left; advanced beyond line of W aisle. Gabled E aisle to outer left; further advanced and higher than W aisle. Window at centre; Y-tracery stone mullion and transom; cinquefoil finial at apex of gable.

Leaded diamond-pane glazing; stained glass in windows on E gable. Graded grey slate roof; semi-circular stone ridge. Ashlar coping to skews and skew blocks for S, N and E elevations. Square, coped wallhead stack between N aisles. Flat-roofed louvred ventilation opening on N slope of roof (modern).

Interior: original fittings removed in alterations of 1932. Rubble interior, heavily repointed. 1932 wooden church furniture, altar table situated at N side of nave. The arches at N side to left and right of the altar were the former burial aisles which now house respectively the pulpit and organ. Stained glass only at W end. Gallery along W side. Wooden roof. 13th century grave slab with cross and sword in S porch.

Session House: circa 1830. Single storey, rectangular- plan lodge-type, session house. Stugged ashlar; rusticated quoins; chamfered ashlar margins.

S elevation: gable to road. Pointed arch window at centre, timber Y-tracery with border-glazing; hoodmould. Plaque to right of window to the memory of William Whitelaw LLD of Hatton. Quoins matched by gatepier built into right corner (see below).

N elevation: blank.

W elevation: blank.

E elevation: 2-bay entrance elevation; door to left; window to right (12-pane sash and case window).

Y-tracery with glazed margins. Grey slate roof; ashlar saddleback coping to skews and skew blocks. Tall, coped apex stacks (diamond alignment on square base).

Graveyard: graveyard includes variety of fine early gravestones dating from the 17th century. Within S porch is a circa 14th century tomb-slab of an incised cross and sword within a margin. To SW of S porch is a tomb (possibly mid 18th century) consisting of a panelled coffin formed from single stone, probably carved by John Mitchell and commemorating William Mitchell who died by 'a stroke from a thrashing machine' in 1809.

Walls: church and graveyard surrounded by rubble wall with semi-circular coping.

Gatepiers: circa 1830. Rusticated ashlar piers, fluted frieze and cornice; pier to left consititutes corner of session house.

Statement of Special Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Ratho Kirk had some distinguished ministersincluding William Wilkie (1743-1769). Joseph Mitchell (1695-1737), the so called 'Poet of Ratho' may also have been a minister at the kirk. He studied divinity after a course on philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, but his interests in theate and the arts may have precluded his ordination as these activities were not favoured by the church. Mitchell wrote a number poems, he knew Allan Ramsay and travelled to London to seek patronage from Sir Robert Walpole. William Whitelaw LLD of Hatton, grandfather of the politician, funded the building of the church hall in 1929 and the restoration of the church in 1932. He died on the 14th January 1946 and there is a plaque to him on the s wall of the session house. The grave slab in the S porch is a scheduled monument.

A coffin shaped gravestone in the graveyard is thought to commemorate John Mitchell (Joseph's father) who was a stone cutter and is believed to have carved the stone for himself before his death.

(List description updated 2010 following further information from a descendant of John and Joseph Mitchell)

References

Bibliography

RCHAMS Inv 214 p158. Colin McWilliam, Lothian (1978) p401. F H Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland Vol V p236. OSA p260. NSA pp99-101. J Tweedie and C Jones Our District (1975) p83. SRO GD150/2442/1/34, GD150/2469/75, GD150/2469/76, GD150/2484/3 information from NMRS; http://wiz2.cath.vt.edu/spenser/AuthorRecord.php?&method=GET@recordid=32955 (accessed 16/11/2009); Additional information courtesy of descendant of John and Joseph Mitchell (www.ripandrevmedia.ca accessed 19/11/2009)

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 28/03/2024 19:08