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Summary

Description

Churchyard containing ruined fragments of former parish church. Series of mainly 18th and 19th century stone monuments, including one by Alexander Thomson, and aisles (mausolea), including Brown of Langside aisle which may be by Robert Adam. Enclosed by ashlar-coped rubble-built boundary walls with gateways to both Carmunnock Road and to Kirkmailung Road, later gateway with 18th century massive square rusticated ashlar piers with cast-iron lamp brackets; wrought-iron gates. Enclosrues twice extended to S in 19th century, at lower levels.

CHURCH: probably by James Dempster, 1830-31, superceded by present church (completed 1929) on nearby side outwith churchyard. Only tower (roofless) and W gable now survive. Gothic with hood-moulded pointed-arched openings, some traceried, with wide-splayed ingoes - glazing destroyed; tower has 3 diminishing stages and diagonal buttresses, these pinnacled above crenellated parapets. Stugged ashlar with polished dressings. Blocked north-facing door has mask label-stops, corresponding South-facing opening contains surviving upper part of timber panel with painted inscription.

AISLES: (A) "The burial place of Thomas Brown of Langside and his family 1782" (inscribed), in the style of Robert Adam. Neo-classical; square-plan, with identical elevations each composed with wall-planes progressively recessed towards centre, and each having a round-arched opening (blind, except at S) set in a recessed margin, patera in spandrels, angle pilaster strips; inscription panel to S and bases of broken bases over angles. Polished yellow ashlar. Modern wrought-iron gate. Roofless (perhaps a dome or pyramidal roof was originally contemplated).

(b) Gordon of Aikenhead, to SW of church; mid/later 19th century in appearance, tiny and simple Gothic chapel, door in W gable, pointed lights to flanks, stone-bracketted eaves, steep-pitched stone-slab roof. Polished ashlar; now (1989) heavily overgrown.

(c) anonymous, to S of Church; mid 19th century domes circular miniature "tempietto". Romanesque, South-facing doorway, shafts with scalloped capitals, chevroned arch; continuous string at impost level; beak-head detailing at eaves; cross finial. Polished ashlar.

MONUMENTS: pair late medieval recumbent grave slabs with unusual longitutinal shafting treatment, inscribed swords and spears; recumbent 1685 martyrs' slab, raised on 19th century plinth and enclosed by wrought-iron low railings; Egypto-Greek monument to John MacIntyre, builder, by Alexander Thomson, 1867; family monument of David Thomson (1831-1910), architect. 2 18th century headstones decorated with cloth-trimming shears. Thomson of Cemphill lairs beneath (circa 1857) tall and decorative round-arched mort-safe.

WATCH HOUSE: built into boundary wall to SW of church has hood-moulded Gothic-arched doorway and may be near contemporary with church. Stugged ashlar, polished dressings.

Statement of Special Interest

Robert Adam designed Langside House for Thomas Brown in 1777, ie 5 years before Brown's death and the construction date of his aisle. The latter's neo-classical design is compatible with the circumstancial evidence linking it to Adam.

References

Bibliography

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