Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Brown and Watt, 1901-1903. 2-storey, 5-bay former church with baroque detailing. Tooled course grey granite ashlar, finely finished to margins. Base course; rough-faced dark grey granite to lower half of ground floor; dividing and course; eaves course and blocking course. Projecting cills to ground floor; architraved windows to 1st floor, with cill cornice and pilastered central astragals; pilastered bays.

NW (SKENE STREET) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 5-bay; 3 central bays slightly advanced, bipartite windows to each bay of ground and 1st floors, round-arched window to centre of wallhead, with moulded surround and keystone detail flanked by 2 roundels, pilastered with pediment above, roofline swept down to right and left to form blocking course. regular fenestration to flanking bay to left. Square-plan 5-stage engaged tower advanced to bay to left; 1st stage, rough-faced granite, 6 stone steps to pedimented former doorway, flanked by square-plan piers and low granite wall surmounted by balustrade, decorative iron lamp stands (no longer in use) surmounting piers; polished blind round arch to left return; 3 pairs of bipartite windows to 2nd stage, with decorative lintel to uppermost pair; narrow vertical opening to each elevation of 3rd stage, bull's-eye window set in pilastered tablet above; deep cornice to base of stepped-back 4th stage, round-arched pedimented window with balustraded apron, flanked by fluted Ionic columns to each elevation, square-plan pinnacles to each corner surmounted by sugar-loaf finials; stepped-back 5th stage, carved panel to each elevation, surmounted by pyramidal stone spire with small oculus to each elevation, finial to apex.

SW AND SE ELEVATIONS: obscured by adjoining buildings.

NE ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 5-bay; tower to right (see above); bipartite windows to 4 bays to right at ground and 1st floors, bipartite window to ground floor of bay to left, single window to 1st floor above. Opening to courtyard to left, bowed bay to right, with doorway to ground floor and 3 windows to 1st floor, flanking bays not seen 2000. 5-bay former hall flanking opening to courtyard to left, bipartite window to each bay, 3 blind openings to right return.

Modern timber windows throughout. Grey slate roofs with lead ridges; decorative timber ventilators to former hall and church. Stone skews. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen 2000.

Statement of Special Interest

Melville Church split from the Established church in 1756, and marked the founding of the Secession in Aberdeen. The congregation worshipped in Weigh-house Square, and in 1772 a new church was erected in Netherkirkgate. In 1839 Melville became a parish church, then in 1843 it became a Free Church of Scotland. In the early 20th century new church buildings were designed by Brown and Watt, and the masonry work was carried out by Pringle and Slessor. The resulting church was "an edifice not of that severely ecclesiastical type common in our midst, but nevertheless ornate and handsome and having altogether a stamp of originality upon it which is alien to many of our modern church buildings" (newspaper cutting). The baroque church tower rises to 120 feet, enhanced by the church's prominent corner site. Melville Church has now been converted into flats. According to Gammie (and the newspaper cuttings), the interior was originally of particular note, with a highly original style of seating, arranged in a horse-shoe layout.

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.