Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

1866, church and vestry. Church hall, 1899. 5-bay, rectangular-plan church. Round-headed upper storey windows. Harled. Rear hall and former vestry; exposed flagstone; harled in places.

NE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: round-headed doorway; flanking tall, round-headed windows. Blocked round-headed window centred above door.

SE ELEVATION: door to far right; fanlight. 4 ground floor windows evenly spaced to left. 5 round-headed windows centred above. 3-bay, single storey linking wing (former vestry) set back to left. Door to right; fanlight above; window to left; door to far left. Advanced 2-bay church hall to far left; 2 windows. Lean-to porch to left; door.

SW ELEVATION: SW gable of church partially obscured by later wing; 2 blocked round-headed windows to left and right at upper level. Small, central circular window above blocked windows. 3 windows to church hall; lean-to porch to right.

NW ELEVATION: 2 windows to church hall gable wall. Central stone plaque above windows inscribed; 'The Reid Memorial Hall 1899'. Linking wing set back to left; window to left; window (former door) to far left. Church advanced to left; door to far left; fanlight. 4 ground floor windows evenly spaced to right of door. 5 round-headed windows centred above.

12-pane timber ground floor windows to church; tilting single panes for ventilation. Intersecting astragals to round-headed windows. 12-pane timber sash and case window to linking wing; 4-pane and 8-pane timber sash and case windows to hall. Timber boarded doors; panelled 2-leaf door to NE. Pitched, Caithness slate roofs; raised, flat skews. Finial to NE church gable apex. Coped ridge stack to linking wing. Corniced stack base to SE hall gable apex; pitched bellcote to NW hall gable apex; open to NW and SE; single bell.

INTERIOR: flight of stairs to left and right of entrance (NE) door. Orange painted wainscoting to porch. Sloping porch ceiling (to accommodate tiered pews above). Timber panelled door to left and right lead into nave. Yellow and green interior to church; yellow painted timber wainscoting; yellow painted pews and walls; green painted surrounds to windows; green painted cornicing and beams. Fixed timber box pews to centre and sides. Beaded detail to front pews. Central timber pulpit to SW wall; steps to left and right lead up to pulpit; decorative metal balustrades; timber ball finials to out newel post. Decorative panelling to front of pulpit and pointed-arched sounding board. Flanking timber panelled doors to pulpit; flanking round-arched windows above; intersecting tracery. Timber organ in front of pulpit. Gallery to NW, NE and SE; timber panelled frontage; clock to NE. Gallery supported by chamfered, timber piers. Window to rear of gallery to NE. Quatrefoil roundels in ceiling. Simple hall interior; timber floor; orange painted wainscoting along walls and window splays; timber pews; coved ceiling.

GARDEN WALL

Exposed rubble wall extends SW-wards from church hall porch; enclosing large garden on 3 sides.

Statement of Special Interest

Depicted as a United Presbyterian Church on the circa 1882 Map; Westray United Free Church was built to replace the Sheepie Kirk which had been Westray's first United Presbyterian Church. The manse was built in 1863 and the church was built nearby soon afterwards. The church could accommodate up to 500 people and cost ?800 to build (Westray's Kirks pamphlet). The church hall was built and dedicated to the memory of the first minister, Rev George Reid. The church hall backs onto the former garden walls of the manse. The interior of the church is intact; complete with 2 organs and light fittings, however, lack of use and water ingress leaves the church in a poor condition. The church hall to the rear is currently used for all church services (2000).

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.