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Summary

Description

Pugin and Pugin, 1896. Gothic, basilican-plan church with pentice-roofed aisles (with projecting pitched roof confessional sections to SE and SW); buttressed and pitched chancel to N; presbytery linked to NW via small sacristy. Bull-faced sandstone coursers; sandstone ashlar dressings; splayed base course; ashlar band courses. 3 hoodmoulded pointed arched reticulated windows to S (principal elevation) stepped above slightly projecting pitched roof masonry porch; flanking hoodmoulded pointed-segmental-arched aisles windows.

Segmental-arched aisles windows to E and W; small paired clerestory windows. Reticulated circular N window set in larger pointed arched window. Gablet skewputts. Plain Tudor-Gothic, 2-storey, irregular-plan presbytery with long canted section to N (rear) and small sacristy to W linking to church: transomed and mullioned bipartite windows. Later 19th century single storey, L-plan hall (former school) to E of site. CHURCH: S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: pitched-roof masonry porch with hoodmoulded doorway, timber double-leaf doors; small flanking traceried windows; 3 hoodmoulded pointed windows with mouchette tracery; small hoodmoulded pointed traceried window to gablehead; masonry cross finial to gable apex; square-plan buttresses flanking central section. Pointed-segmental-arched reticulated windows to flanking aisles terminated by low buttresses.

E ELEVATION: 9 bays (arranged 7-2). Moulded doorway with hoodmoulded pointed traceriered masonry fanlight to far left; advanced pitched roof section (confessional aisle) to penultimate bay left with segmental arched reticulated window flanked by lancets. 2-bay section to far right comprising chapel (at end of penticed aisle) and chancel. Paired 2-light clerestory windows set in moulded panels. N (REAR) ELEVATION: projecting pitched chancel with central reticulated circular window, framed by small circles and set within hoodmoulded pointed window; small hoodmoulded pointed traceried window to gablehead; masonry cross finial to nave and chancel gable apexes; tall hoodmoulded reticulated windows to right return of chancel; flanking hoodmoulded circular windows to aisles. Sacristy and presbytery recessed and linked to far right. W ELEVATION: similar to W elevation.

Stained glass to principal windows to N and S and to confessional aisles; diamond panes to secondary windows; boarded timber doors. Pitched roof, grey slates; terracotta ridge tiles; straight stone skews; gablet skewputts.

INTERIOR: timber-framed entrance porch with diamond-paned coloured glass panels supporting pierced and carved and panelled upper gallery containing remains of large timber pipe organ (pipes and casing to E and W sides only). 6 pointed masonry arches with octagonal-plan columns flanking nave; plaster walls; colonnetted masonry wall posts, bisecting spandrels and rising to roof corbels; timber beamed and bracketed roof; painted and stencilled ceilings to chancel and E aisle. Original yellow pine pews. White carved and pierced marble gothic altar rail with pink and green marble

colonnettes to flanking chapels; 2 green and white marble pulpits flanking chancel (formerly one whole pulpit, now divided in 2) with carved figures set in cusped panels with colonnettes; Caen limestone altar with carved panel of Last Supper (formerly part of lower section of reredos); highly decorative Caen limestone reredos with carved narrative panels, prominent central pinnacled and columned tabernacle niche, carved figures of Mary Mother of God and St Joseph in flanking niches. Altar to St Joseph in E aisle of carved white marble, green and pink marble inset panels and pink marble colonnettes. Lady altar to W aisle similar to E altar. Octagonal white marble baptismal font, green and pink columned pedestal. Panelled and carved timber confessionals in shallow recessed aisles to SE and SW both terminating with reticulated stained glass windows. Stained glass windows depicting various saints and Christ to N and S ends of church.

PRESBYTERY (INCLUDING SACRISTY): Pugin & Pugin, dated 1896. 2-storey, wide 3-bay, irregular-plan, extensive presbytery in plain Tudor-Gothic style; linked to single-storey plain sacristy. Sandstone bull-faced coursers; sandstone ashlar dressings; base course; moulded parapet to S section (small pedimented section with stone crucifix above wide canted bay to left); transomed pointed-segmental-arched windows and 2-light transomed and mullioned windows. Straight stone skews to rear; platform piended and pitched roofs. Interior: timber staircase with turned balusters; original timber panel doors in pointed-segmental-arched openings; original polished black stone fireplaces to prinicipal rooms.

HALL: later 19th century (circa 1874). Single storey, extensive L-plan hall (former chapel and school), consisting of 2 pitched (N-S and E-W) ranges linked at NW corner. Stugged, squared and snecked sandstone rubble; sandstone ashlar dressings; moulded eaves courses; chamfered and shouldered openings; grey slates. N-S

range (used as hall; possibly former chapel): 9 bays. Gable apex stacks with scrolled detail at base; straight skews; moulded skewputts. Central paired pointed-segemental-arched windows to S (gable) elevation. Interior altered to form church hall accommodation. E-W range: 8 bays; advanced gabled section towards left of plan. Bipartite windows (some blocked openings) to S wallhead; plain elevation to N wallhead; square-plan ventilator to E end of roof.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS AND GATES: stepped low coped bull-faced coursed wall with cast-iron railings and octagonal-plan gatepiers fronting church. Earlier stop-chamfered square plan gatepiers to hall entrance. Coped tooled and coursed rubble walls to W and N boundaries.

Statement of Special Interest

The chosen site for St Mary's was that of the former St Mary's chapel and chapel school, serving the Roman Catholic community in the small village of Whifflet. The Catholic parish was founded in 1874. The commission for St Mary's was completed by the highly important firm of British architects, Pugin & Pugin, who are

recognised primarily for their prestigious church commissions throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Under the direction of Peter Paul Pugin (1851-1904 - youngest son of A W N Pugin [1812-1852]), the Pugin & Pugin practice of architects held a virtual monopoly of church building for the archdiocese of Glasgow in latter part of the 19th century and the beginning of the20th century. The church of St Mary's and its related buildings remain mostly in their original state and demonstrate the use of high quality materials, fine decorative finishes throughout, and great attention to detail. Of particular note is the N window (based the form of the great W window at Rheims Cathedral - a prominent circle within a pointed arch), which displays an almost abstract quality. A simple yet practical plan links the presbytery via a modest sacristy to a spacious church. St Mary's Coatbridge is typical of the Catholic churches produced by Pugin & Pugin for the Archdiocese of Glasgow, all of which display a basilican plan, wide aisles with clear views to the chancel and similar decorative arrangement and placement of chapels. The overall architectural style reflects an early Gothic form in the use of the basilican plan, but combines elements of the later Decorated style. Typical of Peter Paul Pugin is the use of texture and massing (e.g. 'A' form of entrance elevation), the unusual tracery patterns and the dominant

W (in this case S) fronts. In the interior, emphasis was given to the altar with the reredos as a focus point, stressing the importance of the Blessed Sacrament and also conforming to current Canon Law. (Finance Board Minute Books mention E Sharp of Dublin as providing the design for the High Altar [21 June 1904].) St Mary's represents the apogee of Peter Paul Pugin's urban church style, established at Kinning Park (1881) and used extensively as a type after 1890. Peter Paul joined his brother Edward Welby Pugin (1834-1875) in practice and after his death in 1875 formed a new firm with his brother Cuthbert Welby Pugin (1840-1928) and G C

Ashlin (1837-1921). Peter Paul was in sole charge of the practice after 1880 when C W Pugin and Ashlin left. From this date until he died in 1904, P P Pugin designed circa 28 new churches in Scotland, the bulk of which were executed in the last 10 years of his life. The practice also executed many alterations and refurnishings of existing Scottish Catholic churches, presbyteries, schools, etc. Peter Paul's first commission in Scotland was for St Francis Church and Friary, Cumberland Street, Glasgow (1878 - see separate listing), probably initiating his long-term association with the Glasgow Diocese. This commission coincided with the

restoration of the Scottish Catholic Hierarchy of 1878 which coincidentally launched an extensive church and school building programme. However, cementing his relationship with the Glasgow Diocese was his design for St Peter's College, Bearsden (1889-demolished) through which he developed a close relationship with Archbishop Charles Eyre, who oversaw most of the Pugin & Pugin commissions, including St Mary's, Coatbridge. St Mary's, Coatbrige is one of 3 Pugin & Pugin churches in the burgh, including St Augustine, Dundyvan Road and St Peter's, Main Street (see separate listings). The great rise in population at the end of the century saw the influx of thousands of Irish Catholic immigrants who came

to Coatbrige to work in the numerous local iron and coal manufactures. (The population had almost quadrupuled since 1851.) As at St Mary's, Catholic chapels with their related schools were first established around the mid 19th century, but once the Catholic population expanded to sustainable numbers towards the end of the century the Glasgow Archdiocese, with the support of resourceful local parish priests were able to provide the religious and eductional buildings the community required. (This note was compiled primarily from J Saunders, "Pugin & Pugin and the Diocese of Glasgow")

References

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