Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Dated 1779. Alterations and repairs by Mackenzie and Mathews, 1854; internal remodelling in 1937 by George Bennett Mitchell. Single storey, rectangular-plan plain classical church with birdcage bellcote, almost certainly from earlier church and re-dated. Tooled coursed granite rubble with cherry cocking, finely finished and tooled dressings. Base course; round-arched openings; long and short quoins.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: symmetrical; 3-bay; gabled. Modern 2-leaf boarded timber door to centre of ground floor, 2-pane leaded fanlight, notice-board to right; flanked to left and right by window. Large window centred above doorway; louvred timber bull's-eye opening set in gablehead. Corniced decorative bellcote, with 1815 bell, bell-pull chain tied to loop to right of ground floor; tooled datestone above cornice reading "1779", spherical finials to each corner, ironwork weather-vane to apex.

S ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 5-bay; 4 regularly spaced windows to bays to left, boarded timber door to earlier 20th century bay to right, flanked to left by small windows.

E ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; gabled; single stained glass window to centre, with finely finished granite ashlar dressings, small window to left of ground floor; spherical finial to apex.

N ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 5-bay; window to each of centre 3 bays. Advanced lean-to to bay to outer right, boarded timber door with glazed panels, coped stack breaking eaves to re-entrant angle to left. Earlier 20th century bay to left with stepped-up window and cherry-cocking.

Predominantly rectangular-pane leaded windows. Graded grey slate roof with tiled ridge. Stone skews with corniced skewputts. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: refitted circa 1937; originally U-plan gallery with pulpit on long wall, now broad-plan with rear gallery; simple timber pews; memorial stones set in S wall; clock by "Geo Angus, Aberdeen" to gallery; fine stained glass to E; 12th century stone set in wall of room to NW.

CHURCHYARD, GATES, GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: random rubble boundary walls with rubble coping enclose 2 chambered churchyard, with some 18th and 19th century stones. Square-plan tooled granite gatepiers with pyramidal caps to S and SE of graveyard with ironwork gates; small iron gate leading to Manse to E wall; gateway leading to lower terrace of graveyard to W wall, stone steps, modern railings. Ancillary structure within boundary wall to N.

Statement of Special Interest

B-Group with Birse Manse, now called Birseside (see separate listing). Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Birse Church "is a most substantial and commodious edifice, superior to most, and inferior to few places of worship in the country" (OSA, p118). When the foundations of the previous church, situated to the S where the Farquharsons of Finzean burial place is now, were removed a 12th century stone, with a carved 2-handed sword, battle axe and cross was found, and set into the S wall of the churchyard; it is now inside the church. According to Dinnie, the 1675 bell was recast in 1815, and originally had a silver tongue, however on one occasion the tongue broke free from its fastenings and flew into a nearby marsh where it was lost (Kemp, p15). Little evidence of the Mackenzie and Mathews work survives. Rev A L Kemp explains the alterations carried out by George Bennett Mitchell of Aberdeen (who also worked on several other buildings in the Aboyne and Birse area), although certain aspects are different. The east gable was taken down in order to extend the building by six feet, and the interior was completely refitted, reducing the seating capacity by 100, so that it was more comfortable.

References

Bibliography

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.