St Nicholas Church (Dalkeith)

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St Nicholas Church
Ruins of the Gothic choir on the northeast side

The St Nicholas Church , also St Nicholas Buccleuch Parish Church , formerly Dalkeith Kirk , East Parish Church , East Kirk or Collegiate Church of Dalkeith , is a church building of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland . It is located on High Street in the Scottish town of Dalkeith in the Midlothian Council Area . Opposite is the old town hall of the city .

In 1971 the building was included in the Scottish List of Monuments in the highest category A. Furthermore, the medieval choir, preserved as a ruin, is classified as a Scheduled Monument . The church is still in use as such.

history

The first church building was erected on this site around 1350. It was a late Gothic building that was used as a collegiate church from 1406 . James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith, was responsible for the expansion carried out around 1420 . After Dalkeith was installed as its own parish in 1592 , St Nicholas Church was elevated to a parish church . Around this time the old choir was structurally separated and visibly fell into disrepair. The stone roof collapsed around 1770. Around 1762 the building was given a bell tower with an octagonal floor plan. After the structural condition had deteriorated by the middle of the 19th century and the church was already too small due to the growing community, the Scottish architect David Bryce was commissioned with the expansion. During the three-year construction period, the parish took part in the services in a nearby church.

In the course of the expansion carried out between autumn 1851 and spring 1854, the church received its current neo-Gothic appearance. Parts of the old masonry were integrated here. The bell tower from the 1760s was not preserved. Instead, a 26 m high bell tower with a square floor plan was built on the south-west facing front. The total cost was £ 4,160. From now on there was room for 760 people in St Nicholas Church. The bell tower and gallery were destroyed in a fire in 1885 and rebuilt in 1888.

Individual evidence

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

Web links

Commons : St Nicholas Church  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 55 ° 53 '43.6 "  N , 3 ° 4' 7.5"  W.