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Summary

Description

1809-1814. Near-symmetrical three by two-bay hall church of rectangular plan. Harled walls with droved ashlar margins to openings.

West (entrance) gable: near-symmetrical. Two-leaf vertically-boarded timber entrance door with plate glass fanlight in segmental-arched opening offset to right. Flanking marble war memorials set in margined recesses. Windows flanking centre in gable. Ashlar bellcote on harled plinth at gablehead.

South elevation: symmetrical, tall round-arched windows flanking centre and windows in bays to outer left and right.

North elevation: symmetrical. Windows flank a central vestry. Vestry with timber sash and case window and vertically-boarded timber door in west wall. Coped chimney stack on south gable.

East gable: entrance door at ground in bay to left. Windows flanking centre in gable.

Stained glass memorial windows of 1896 and 1895 flanking pulpit. Some leaded windows with coloured glass surviving. Purple-grey slate roof with ashlar skew copes.

Interior: flagged floors in entrance vestibules to east and west, dog-leg timber stairs leading off and rising to panelled and grained U-plan gallery supported to timber columns and with raked timber pews. Panelled timber pulpit at centre of south wall with a gothic panel at the rear with engaged, ball finials. The pulpit is flanked by stained glass windows and marble memorials to Mouat family. Vertically-boarded timber wainscoting to hall, timber floor and pews. Timber lining with strapwork to ceiling and gables.

Kirkyard Wall: drystone walls enclosing kirkyard to south and east. Ashlar and rubble enclosure with urn and spear finialled cast-iron railings to Henderson family built into west wall.

Statement of Special Interest

Place of worship in use.

This is one of the earliest of the 19th century churches in Shetland, replacing its predecessor of around 1722 which had replaced Bressay's three ancient chapels. The off-set entrance doors are an unusual feature, possibly intended to reduce wind force when both sets of doors are open.

The stained glass windows commemorate John Ross, who was a local schoolteacher and Sir Robert George Crookshank Hamilton, who was born in Bressay and became Governor of Tasmania in 1886.

The bell dates to 1858. It was cast in Whitechapel, London and may reuse material from an earlier Bressay bell dating back to 1723.

Listed building record updated in 1997 and 2019.

References

Bibliography

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