St Michael's Church (Linlithgow)

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St Michael's Church
Choir room

The St Michael's Church is a church building of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland in the Scottish town of Linlithgow in the Council Area West Lothian . In 1971 the structure was included in the Scottish monument lists in the highest monument category A. The church is in use as such to this day.

history

The church is located on the site of a previous building from 1242. This burned down in 1424, so that construction of today's St Michael's Church began probably in the following year. Although the church was already in use earlier, the completion of the construction work took until 1532. The future Queen of Scots Mary Stuart was baptized there in 1542. New galleries for the nobility and upper middle class were added in 1559.

Oliver Cromwell used the church as a stable in 1646. In the course of the 18th century the structure of the building began to deteriorate, which is why restoration work was necessary in 1812 and between 1894 and 1896. The latter work was carried out by the architects Honeyman and Keppie . The crown with which the bell tower ended was removed in 1822. A new modern crown was installed in 1964. A new leaded glass window by Crear McCartney was inaugurated on the occasion of the 750th anniversary in 1992. A new organ was installed in 2001.

description

The late Gothic St Michael's Church is in a prominent position next to Linlithgow Palace in the north of Linlithgow. The masonry of the three-aisled church consists of rough stone cut from cream-colored sandstone . The five-storey bell tower with the west-facing entrance portal rises on the west side. A column pillar supports the ornate tympanum . A tracery made of three lancet windows is installed above it . On the third floor there is a small, on the fourth, at bell height, then a large pointed arch window . Above that, rose windows are installed on all sides . A modern aluminum construction sits on the blunt tower, which is intended to symbolize the tip and crown at the same time.

The central nave, which is four axes wide, is attached to the east side of the bell tower. On the north side, the transept is designed with a round stair tower with a conical roof . There is also the sacristy on this side . To the east the building closes with a polygonal apse . All roofs are covered with gray slate.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  2. ↑ Network presence of the parish
  3. ↑ a b Information from the Scotland's Churches Trust
  4. ↑ a b Entry on St Michael's Church  in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)

Web links

Commons : St Michael's Church  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 55 ° 58 ′ 41.7 ″  N , 3 ° 36 ′ 1.5 ″  W.