Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Archibald Simpson, 1819; interior re-worked 1872 and 1926. Imposing rectangular plan church and session house on raised ground overlooking graveyard and site of earlier St Margaret's Church. Centre of W gable projects as vestibule and gallery stairs with deep-set 2-leaf timber door, raised-centre tripartite window and slender stone bellcote with bell; nave with alternating roundel windows and pointed-arch traceried windows; galleried interior. Granite rubble, squared at W end, and granite quoins and dressings; round and pointed-arch openings. Raised base course and eaves course continuing as band course at gable ends.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: S elevation with 3 neo-perpendicular, timber-traceried, 2-light windows over raised cills punctuating 4 circular windows high up in spandrel areas. Similar tracery to 2 tall windows at E and plain Y-tracery to raised centre tripartite and flanking set back lights at W.

Windows retain diamond-pattern zinc with hand made glass. Grey slates. Ashlar-coped skews and stone finials.

INTERIOR: some good interior detail retained including 1819 painted plaster ceiling and remnants of acanthus design stencilling; some dado panelling. 1872 pews. 1926 alterations include W gallery on 3 cast iron columns (re-used from original U-plan gallery) with pendulum clock of 1870 commemorating baptism of father of John Alexander on 1 March 1826; re-siting of pulpit at E, dedicated to Rev Brebner, Minister 1871-1927.

Statement of Special Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. The former parish church at Forgue, designed by well-respected north east architect Archibald Simpson, is an important early survival of the reformed worship plan introduced during the opening years of the 19th century. The building retains a fine presence with its massing and quality stonework. It is strikingly sited on raised ground surrounded by the separately listed churchyard which also contains the Morison family vault which originally stood in the south aisle of the earlier church. The group interest is enhanced by the nearby manse and steading (see separate listings).

Dedicated to St Margaret, the church is located in the village of Forgue, and originally served one of the largest parishes in the north east of Scotland. It was built to replace a 17th century church and two fragments of the 1638 Frendraught pew from that structure, which were incorporated into the new building, are now (2007) located within the separately listed Episcopal Church. An advertisement was placed in the Aberdeen Journal of 14 January 1818 requesting "Estimates .......for a Parish Church at Forgue..... . Plans and Specifications of which, will be seen, by applying to the Rev Mr Allardyce, Forgue, ......., or to Mr A Simpson, Architect, Aberdeen". The resultant church, built in 1819 had an interior decorated in the Greek Revival style; pews were altered and a Conacher organ was installed in 1872; and further alterations, including re-alignment of the gallery, took place in 1926.

The parishes of Forgue and Inverkeithny amalgamated in 1962, with both churches remaining open. These were joined in 1978 by Auchaber parish and in 1992 by Auchterless parish to form Auchaber United. At that time the church at Forgue closed and some useable items were removed to Auchaber Church. In 1997 Forgue Church was purchased from the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland by the Friends of Forgue Kirk and now (2007) runs as a community facility with monthly use by the Parish of Auchaber United.

List description revised 2007.

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.