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Former Holywood Church of Scotland, Holywood, Dumfriesshire


The church was built in 1779 to the west of the abbey using stone from the abbey. Three years later two school houses were built. The manse and church had repaired work done in 1821. East and west porches were added in 1864. The ceiling was also strenthened annd the interior re-modelled and refurbished. Alexander Fraser was the architect for the works. Internal works were carried out in the 1950s and John Young was the architect. The church was linked in 1962 with Dumfries Lincluden Church. Sometime prior to 1986 the gallery was closed off to create a meeting room. The church closed after 1999.

The church is aligned east/west with a long north wing and a south tower. It is built in squared red sandstone rubble with fair-faced dressings. The roof are piend and are slated. 

The tower has five stages with an open balustrade and squared corner "turrets". The first stage has a rectangular sash window on its south face, a simple single-leaf doorway on its west face and an outside stair to the first floor on its east face. The second stage has a simple door on its east face, a small rectangular window on its south face and no opening on its west face. At stage three there is the same rectangular on the south face and nothing on the other two faces. Stage four has rectangular louve openings on all faces. Stage five has tall rectangular bipartite louve openings on all faces.

The south wall has two tall round-headed windows on either side of the tower. 

The east wall has a small pitched roof entrance porch with the door on the south face and a small round-headed window on its east face. The west wall of the nave also has a porch but the door is on the north wall and the window on the west wall.

The nave north wall has a single tall round-headed window either side of the north wing.

The north wing has on its sides two sets of windows, a rectangular with above it a round-headed. There is a semi-piend roofed extension on the north gable . It has on its east side a small lean-to building with a small round-headed east window. on its west side is a small lean-to entrance porch with a simple west door.

Between 1864 and about 1880 four stained glass windows were installed in the south wall. They depict sacred and floral motifs.  A chamber organ by Wilkinson & Sons (1896) was installed in 1920. The Communion Table, lectern and font are all 19th century. A communion table lamp desinged by John Young was made by Henshaw in 1969. A stained glass window was installed in the north west. It depicts crests,flowers and foliage.

Property Details
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    site_id : 7430

    Name : Former Holywood Church of Scotland, Holywood, Dumfriesshire

  • Street :
  • Town : Holywood
  • Island :
  • City :
  • Postcode : DG2 0RD
  • Parish : Holywood
  • Local Authority : Dumfries and Galloway
  • Location
  • Easting : 295490
  • Northing : 579659
  • Dates
  • Record Created : 28/05/2024 18:26:31

    Record Modified : 28/05/2024 18:54:13

  • Name: Alexander Fraser
  • Role: Architect
  • Dates: 1864
  • Name: John Young
  • Role: Architect
  • Dates: 1950s & 1969
  • Notes: Interior works & Table lamp
  • Name: Hemshaw
  • Role: Craftsman
  • Dates: 1969
  • Notes: Table lamp
  • Name: Wilkinson & Sons
  • Role: Chamber Organ
  • Dates: 1920
  • Title: Two schoolhouses built
  • Description:
  • Date From: 1782
  • Title: Repairs to church and manse
  • Description:
  • Date From: 1821
  • Title: Tw porches added
  • Description: Ceiling strengthened, interior remodelled and refurbished. Architect: Alexander Fraser
  • Date From: 1864
  • Title: Four stained glass windows installed
  • Description:
  • Date From: 1864
  • Date To: 1880 (about)
  • Title: Chamber organ installed
  • Description: Maker: Wilkinson & Sons (1896)
  • Date From: 1920
  • Title: Internal works
  • Description: Architect: John Young
  • Date From: 1950s
  • Title: Linked with Dumfries Lincluden Church
  • Description:
  • Date From: 1962
  • Title: Communion Table lamp
  • Description: Designer: John Young. Maker: Henshaw
  • Date From: 1969
  • Title: Stained glass window installed
  • Description:
  • Date From: 1980 (about)
  • Title: Gallery closed off to create a meeting room
  • Description:
  • Date From: 1896 (pre)
  • Title: Church closed
  • Description:
  • Date From: 1999 (post)
  • Title: New church built on an adjacent site
  • Description:
  • Date From: 1779
  • Bibliographies.

  • Original Bibliographies. May be out of date.
    • Name: Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae - The Succession of Ministers in the CoS from the Reformation - Vol II - Synods of Merse and Teviotdale, Dumfries and Galloway (Reprint 2016)
    • Author: Hew Scott
    • Date: 1917
    • Notes: Oliver & Boyd
    • Name: Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae - Ministers of the Church from the date of publication of Vols i to Vii (1914 - 1928) and Addenda and Corrigenda from 1560 to 1949 - Vol VIII
    • Author: John Alexander Lamb
    • Date: 1950
    • Notes: Oliver & Boyd
    • Name: Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae - 1929 -1954 - Vol IX
    • Author: John Alexander Lamb
    • Date: 1954
    • Notes: Oliver & Boyd
    • Name: Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae - 1955 -1975 - Vol X
    • Author: Donald Farquhar Macleod Macdonald
    • Date: 1976
    • Notes: St Andrews Press
    • Name: Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae - 1976 -1999 - Vol XI
    • Author: Finlay Angus John Macdonald
    • Date: 2000
    • Notes: T & T Clark, Edinburgh
    • Name: First Statistical Account of Scotland
    • Author:
    • Date: 1791/99
    • Name: Second Statistical Account of Scotland
    • Author:
    • Date: 1834/45
    • Name: Buildings of Scotland - Dumfries & Galloway - Reprinted 2005 (Yale)
    • Author: John Gifford
    • Date: 1996
    • Notes: Yale University Press

  • Site Archives
    • Archive: Scottish Church Heritage Research Archive - Offline database - Notes: SCHR SharePoint Archive
    • Website:
    • Reference: 07430
    • Archive: Historic Scotland Listed Building Reports - Online database - Notes:
    • Website:
    • Reference: LB10209
    • Notes: Listed B

  • References