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Summary

Description

Dated 1674; rebuilt 1788. Choir and organ chamber by John Murray in 1898. Interior modernised by Walker & Pride, 1975 (see Notes). Aisless, rectangular-plan church with centre bow to N and Gothic details; 2-stage tower and spire. Squared and snecked rubble, part stugged; ashlar dressings. Raised base course and moulded eaves course; band course, mutuled cornice and crenellated parapet to tower. Ashlar doorcase; pointed-arch openings, voussoirs, stone mullions.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: symmetrical, square-headed openings to ground. Large conical-roofed bowed bay to centre with corniced, moulded doorcase and flanking small windows; large bipartite window over, and flanking lower swept-roof bays in re-entrance angles each with 3 small windows and with further window on outer returns.

W ELEVATION: advanced tower (see below) to centre with tall window to flanking recessed faces; low catslide-roofed bay with crenellated eaves in re-entrant angle to left with window over basement door, and tiny window to right with further door to left on return to left.

TOWER: square, 2-stage tower with crenellated parapet and short conical spire. 1st stage with recessed, Y-traceried window to W. Band course above giving way to tall 2nd stage with triangular window abutting band course and louvered oculus close to parapet at W and date stone high up to N. 3 diminishing size oval lucarnes to each face of spire, decorative iron weathervane finial.

S ELEVATION: later projecting bay to centre with 2 windows at raised basement, lancet to centre above with glazed oculus over, further lancet to each return and traceried window to recessed flanking bays.

E ELEVATION: projecting bay with tall traceried window to centre.

Multi-pane leaded lights, some with coloured margins (stained glass see below). Graded grey slates.

INTERIOR: mostly 1975. Vestry and session room flank main door; glazed screen doors to horseshoe galleried interior with modern fixed timber pews oriented to S with raised chancel and organ. Stained glass memorial windows of 1883 probably by Ballantine & Son flanking chancel; 2 lights in N gallery (1886) of Spring and Autumn, by same artist. 2 further lights in chancel from Raith Church (see Notes).

Statement of Special Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Abbotshall was created a separate parish in 1650, with Patrick Wemyss as the first minister of Abbotshall Church. The parish was incorporated with Kirkcaldy Burgh in 1876. A new organ chamber, with organ by J J Binns, was installed in 1898. Raith Parish Church, stemming from a Mission church of Abbotshall, rejoined the mother church in 1964, at which time the stained glass windows in the chancel area were removed from the decommissioned Raith Church. Walker & Pride's early 1970s interior modernisation included connecting the older separate Linktown tradesmen's lofts of Hammermen's Loft (E), Weavers (W), and the Raith gallery (N) around a new raised chancel; the entrance was relocated and glass screen inserted.

References

Bibliography

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