Rhinoceroses and Giraffes
Used by permission of Peter Stubbs
An Architectural Guide to Edinburgh Barclay Viewforth Church of Scotland Registered Sco sh Charity No. SC014757 Barclay Viewforth Church £2.00 1, Wright’s Houses, Edinburgh EH10 4HR Tel: 0131 229 6810 www.barclayviewforth.org.uk Rhinoceroses and Giraffes
An Architectural Guide to Barclay Viewforth Church, Edinburgh
“Franco-Vene an Gothic church of great originality designed by FT Pilkington 1862-64. Apple-shaped plan with T plan appendage containing two ers of galleries, remarkable intersec ng King and Queen truss roof construc on, tall stone spire with open lucernes, cavernous portals.”
This guide has been prepared to give the interested visitor assistance in iden fying and examining the many unusual features of Frederick Thomas Pilkington's most famous building.
We hope that you enjoy your visit to our church.
The church is first and foremost not bricks and mortar, but men and women who worship God, confess Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and seek in sincerity to serve Him in daily life.
Please accept this invita on to return and join us for worship at one of our Sunday Services - either at 11.00 am or 6.30 pm on any Sunday of the year.
Original version compiled by Rev Graham Leitch, former minister of Barclay Church. Mr Stewart Tod, architect, and, for many years, Fabric Convenor of Barclay Church, provided addi onal material for this edi on. Mr Tod’s grandfather, Alex Tod, was also involved in the original construc on of the church.
Revised August 2011 EH 8/11
2 MINISTERS The informa on contained in this booklet has been gathered from a number of sources, both published and unpublished, in order to provide 1864-1903 Rev Dr James Hood Wilson members and visitors to our church with a simple outline of the history of the building. 1897-1911 Rev William MacCallum Clow For nearly 150 years Barclay Church (now Barclay Viewforth) - built as a 1902-1924 Rev R. Sangster Anderson Free Church but now a parish church of the Church of Scotland serving the Tollcross area - has been a dominant feature of the Tollcross and 1924-1943 Rev Alexander Irvine Pirie Bruntsfield areas of Edinburgh and of the city skyline. 1944-1948 Rev William Preston Temple
1949-1965 Rev R Nichol Bell
1967-1980 Rev James Hamilton HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 1980 - 2003 Rev D. Graham Leitch The Church - originally known as "The Barclay Church" a er Mary Barclay whose legacy paid for its building - stands on the edge of the Bruntsfield 2005 - present Rev Samuel A.R. Torrens Links, an area which used to be forest. At that me, Bruntsfield was well 2011 - present Rev Howard Espie (Emerging Church Facilitator) outside Edinburgh proper. The main road to London ran along the line of Barclay Terrace, past the wood burners' co ages at Wright’s Houses, which stood on either side of the Golf Tavern.
THE GROVE STREET MISSION In 1843, at the me of the Disrup on of the Church of Scotland, the Tollcross area was a busy commercial terminus to the canal system which linked Edinburgh and Glasgow, the Forth & Clyde Canal. The area was rough and heavily populated, with many of the dockers living in the area The canal basin, where barges loaded, unloaded and turned round was in the area now occupied by the Lothian Road Cinema building backing on to Semple Street. The area around the basin was industrial. In 1848, the Free Church at St George’s West (not at that me in Shandwick Place) began a Mission in Fountainbridge, in Grove Street, which was soon established in a n roofed hut. This grew un l 1853, when it became a
22 3 sanc oned charge and one year later, in 1854, Fountainbridge Church was built with Rev James Hood Wilson ordained to preach there. By 1860, however, under his inspired leadership, the Mission Church was Significant Architectural Events thriving and the premises were packed to capacity.
It was becoming clear that if the work was to con nue to expand a new Date Event and larger building would be required. Pressure was on the Presbytery of 1861 Compe on held for church design Edinburgh to consider a further building in the Tollcross area. 1862 Building work commenced MARY BARCLAY 23 August 1864 Topping out ceremony Meanwhile, on 3 December 1858, Miss Mary Barclay of 7 Carlton Terrace died, leaving over £10,000 for the erec on of a Free Church. A Board of 29 December 1864 First service held at Barclay Free Church 17 trustees was appointed and considered sites at Warriston, St Leonards and the Grange un l the present site was chosen. September 1880 Church reopened a er altera ons
The choice of site was heavily influenced by three factors: 1892 Church halls added • The expansion and success of the work of the Grove Street 1898 Organ case built Mission (a Free Church Mission) under the leadership of James Hood Wilson, demonstrated that this densely populated area 1947 Post-war upgraded hea ng and decora on by Harry would benefit from a Free Church presence. Taylor, Church of Scotland architects • James Hood Wilson's heart was in the work in Tollcross and 1966-69 Repairs Fountainbridge and he was loath to consider a move. He remained as the first Minister of the Barclay Church un l his death in 1906. 1969 Organ restora on & new Hilsdon console • But perhaps the principal factor was the existence of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in the area. The erec on of Barclay 1976 Spire reconstruc on Church, like so many other church buildings, was a product of 1998-99 “Towards 2000” Church redevelopment ecclesias cal compe on rather than coopera on! The church was erected to rescue the popula on of Tollcross and 2009 Church Centre redevelopment Fountainbridge from "papis cal ideas" and "romish influence". th 2014 150 anniversary PLANNING AND BUILDING On the site of the proposed church stood a Georgian house which was demolished, and a compe on for architects to design the church for the somewhat oddly shaped area announced. The design brief contained instruc ons such as the use of local stone (Binny and Redhall
4 21 A note about the congrega on quarries), provision of deeply inset doors to provide protec on from the The congrega on in Barclay Viewforth today is an amalgama on of wind, sea ng for 1200 and a cost of under £8,000. various congrega ons. In 1980 the Barclay congrega on was formed The winner, in 1861, was Frederick Thomas Pilkington (1832-1898). by the union of Barclay Bruntsfield Church and Chalmers Lauriston Barclay was his first major work. It a racted a lot of interest - not all Church. complimentary. It would appear the unfavourable comments put him The Barclay Bruntsfield congrega on was a union of the original off, as he never did anything as striking again. He was known for Barclay congrega on with the congrega on of Bruntsfield Church in developing the Victorian High Gothic revival style, which was adapted to 1965. fit with the needs of the Free Church of Scotland, where the pulpit (from where the ‘Word of God’ was preached) was the main focus rather than The Chalmers Lauriston congrega on was formed from the Chalmers the usual nave and aisle. Church (on the West Port, now demolished) and the Lauriston Pilkington was later described as a “Rogue Architect”! The descrip on Church, which stands in Lauriston Place. was probably apt because although he was very successful with the Viewforth Church congrega on was formed from a union with St many buildings he had constructed, he never created a cult which others Owalds Church in 1957 and St Davids Church in 1973 followed – he was a definite “one off”. In August 2009 the two congrega ons of Barclay Church and Some of his buildings in Edinburgh and beyond you will recognize Viewforth Church (Gilmore Place) united to form the present Barclay immediately. Viewforth. • The shops and tenement at the end of Grove Street. • Viewforth Free Church, 1871. Today it houses a lively and forward looking congrega on numbering • The South Church in Penicuik and the nearby mill houses on the 350+. other side of the road. • One or two houses in the Grange area – no. 50 Dick Place for example. • He also designed churches at Kelso (very similar to Barclay but smaller), Irvine (again slightly smaller than Barclay and now abandoned) and Innerleithen as well as tenements in the Stockbridge area of the town. La erly he went to London and built a huge hotel, now demolished, where the entrance door was deliberately made to appear as though it extended 2 storeys, which created a distorted sense of scale. All of his buildings had unusual design features and some clever solu ons to design problems. The problem that he faced at Barclay was that the site was really too small to fit in a conven onal building which would provide 1000 plus “Bird’s eye” view from the roof seats. His solu on was to build “up” at 3 or 4 levels, i.e. with 2
20 5 balconies and 2 “gods” and u lize the entrance Pillar Hall for addi onal hea ng and ligh ng, carpe ng and door openings in the exis ng screen to “overflow” space. form access to the Sanctuary have all improved and enhanced the area as a mee ng place for refreshments a er services or performances. The The building work started in 1862, and the topping out ceremony (finishing west entrance doors to Bruntsfield Place have been re-opened and of the roof) was at 1 pm on 23 August 1864. The first service in the church adapted and now form the main access to the church building. was held on 29 December 1864.
CHURCH CENTRE REDEVELOPMENT Re-seating and alterations in 1880 In 2009 the revised 2nd phase of the envisaged Towards 2000 plan was EDINBURGH.—The Barclay Free Church was reopened on Sunday completed when the Church Halls underwent a transforma on, again after internal renovation and alterations. The whole of the seats in overseen by Gray Marshall, architects, crea ng a vibrant Church Centre. the area, which formerly had an upward slope to the pulpit, have The red doors at the entrance, which so o en gave the church a closed been placed upon a level floor, and a new choir seat constructed. appearance, are now opened daily to reveal a set of glass doors, The pulpit has been lowered, and reconstructed of Caen stone, ornately panelled, while the reredos at the back of it has been incorpora ng the new church logo. Although these doors remain locked considerably enlarged. The elders' seat below the pulpit is now for security purposes, it is now easier for people to gain access to the separated from the area pews by a carved rail of pitch-pine, with building via the entry system. The former Coun ng House/Office is now quatrefoil ornamentation. The heating and ventilating home to not only a suite of toilets but a corridor which gives access to and arrangements have also been overhauled. Instead of hot air, the from the church. church is now to be heated with hot-water pipes—4,400 feet of The Church Centre also has a stairli , a new kitchen and a new office and which have been introduced, chiefly in coils in the passages and is therefore be er equipped to meet the challenge of con nuing to serve corridors. Fresh air will be introduced into the building through a God and witness to Jesus Christ in a new genera on. system of pipes capable of regulation, the vitiated air being carried off into the tower. This part of the work has been effected under the direction of Dr Russel and Dr Smart. The other alterations have been carried out from plans by Mr Pilkington, the architect of the building. The cost has been over £500. [Building News 1 October 1880 p398]
“RHINOCEROSES AND GIRAFFES” The exterior of Barclay has been described as a "collec on of rhinoceroses and giraffes at a watering hole, their rumps backing on to the Links." Despite this unfla ering descrip on, the exterior has a wealth of detail and a par cular use of design to create a pleasant appearance. The following narra ve is best consulted while inspec ng the exterior of the building, commencing at the Church Centre on the Wright’s Houses The 2009 redevelopment of the Church Centre saw the windows side of the church. in the large Bruntsfield Hall restored to their former glory.
6 19 "TOWARDS 2000" It was again looking forward to making Barclay Church a focus for the EXTERIOR FEATURES community in the Tollcross area of Edinburgh that the Kirk Session The Halls and Church Officer’s House were built in 1892 to a design by decided, a er consulta on with the congrega on and other users, Sydney Mitchell. This part of the building necessitated the demoli on of that the church should be adapted and equipped to suit the needs of the original round Session House which was in form similar to the congrega on in the 21st century. the Vestry/Boiler House feature on the West side of the building. The The concept was to present a more welcoming impression to those “Pilkington” Church starts immediately to the right of the Church Officer’s entering the building, and fulfil the requirement of a wider range of house door. church ac vi es as well as mee ngs, concerts and other func ons On this side of the building, the character and style are quickly apparent. which would require a large auditorium. The large windows into the church are roofed in the most intricate manner. Rain Water Pipes were originally internal and of lead. They The "Towards 2000" group was formed from members of the Kirk choked repeatedly and were eventually replaced with the rather ugly Session to consider fundamental changes to the church building. A er arrangement of Cast Iron bends and joints. When major roof repairs were concentrated delibera on and prayer at a weekend away at Carberry being carried out in the 1990s, the congrega on contemplated trying to Tower a plan was approved. This went to Edinburgh Presbytery for reinstate the original pipes, but the connec ng point in the street was not their support and it received approval in principle. Gray Marshall were easily located and the cost of searching for it would have increased the appointed as architects and therea er the Towards 2000 group was cost of the work well above grant levels, so it was not a empted. Some chaired by Andy McKean, who liaised with the architects in preparing day it may be possible to run a surface (below pavement slab) channel developed plans and costs for presenta on to the Congrega on and across to the street and replace the lead pipe with plas c drain. This was other authori es and ul mately to the conclusion of the building done at St Stephen’s Church in the New Town 30 years ago where a works. similar problem existed. The access on that occasion was much simpler.
An appeal to raise money from the congrega on was set in place to You will note how the boundary of the church site is so close to the realise our plans. The two spiral staircases linking the gallery with the extreme edge of the building and how the building form seems to grow ground floor were essen al to the plans, so that those members si ng organically from the ground, splaying inwards and then corbelling back upstairs had to leave via the Pillar Hall, thus affording a be er out again. Interes ng to think how the architect drew the plans to opportunity to meet the downstairs members before leaving the represent the different levels which altered course by course as the building. The moving of the organ console to one side of the chancel Stonemasons built. The door alongside the disabled access has a boiler and the raising of the floor level over the removed pews to the sides fan through it now but it was originally a porch door. At an intermediate now provides a larger open pla orm for shows or other presenta ons. stage, the door was sealed and the porch became a small toilet which was Improvements to the ligh ng installa on has greatly enhanced the accessed from the Pillar Hall. The sealed door became one wall of the architectural quality of the building by spotligh ng many features of W.C. and with a 2 ′ 6″ bolt, must have been a record. This has since been the original design. remodelled as part of the Towards 2000 plans, and is now the cleaner’s cupboard, within the Pillar Hall kitchen. In the Pillar Hall area the exis ng kitchen and toilets were removed to form a larger coffee prepara on area with server hatch, while the reloca on of toilets, new cupboards and pinboarding, improved 18 7 The small side tower which is slated with a pa ern in colour was described by an early (roman c) cri c as the thumb of the Lord with the spire as the poin ng finger and the unusual roofs over the windows along with the main roof as the knuckles of the hand. A good selling point for the Architect when he was explaining his compe on scheme no doubt! The only roof access is through a trap door on the small flat roof behind the side tower and at the same level as the top of the roof running into the tower from the North. You will see the entry point inside the main church auditorium. Around to the North side we see the large round window which is such a striking feature inside the building, mainly for the benefit of the Preacher and his Elders (si ng around the pulpit) and for worshippers who had made the long climb to the top gallery. It is from the North side that the “growing out of the ground” effect is most easily seen with the lower stages of the stonework sloping inwards like the trunk of a tree. Basil Spence in the 1960s used the “organic growth” descrip on in his ill-fated Gorbals flats -they didn’t last The Rose window seen from the pulpit as long as Barclay! Approaching from the North, the scale of Engraving from Old and New Edinburgh, published in 1890, prior to the spire and the size of the entrance “porch” roof which covers two large the building of the Church Centre and Church Officer’s House. doors draws the worshippers to the door up a flight of rather high steps. When the decision was taken to stop using the entrance, it was not popular. Various schemes to convert the doorways into windows which could be suitably decorated were suggested, but the idea never caught on. As this goes to press (Autumn 2011) plans to improve this area are being discussed. 8 17 THE PILLAR HALL So called because of its pillars suppor ng the first balcony, the Pillar Hall was originally used for the Sabbath School. The glass par ons dividing it from the sanctuary slide down into the wooden area, allowing direct sight of the pulpit. The doors from the Pillar Hall to the sanctuary were added The Steeple as part of the Towards 2000 project. Previous to that there were no doors. The curved beams on top of the pillars in this hall are laminated - a Victorian novelty which allowed beams to be made up in thin bendable slices in situ. Laminated mber beams are regarded at present as very modern! The front entrance is dominated by the 250 foot high steeple. It is second only to St Mary’s Cathedral in height. St John’s Tolbooth Church, now the Through the Pillar Hall to the hallway lies the church Fes val Hub, stands higher on the skyline but is less than 200 feet in ves bule, which has an illuminated sec on of stained height. In its original form, the spire had a very elaborate finial, with 3 x3” glass from Bruntsfield Church in memory of a former gold balls which encouraged some irreverent Victorians to name it “the organist of the congrega on, George Short. Pawnbrokers Kirk”. This had to be removed in the late 1920s when the wind force on it was causing the steeple to bend and threaten to collapse. In the entrance ves bule, a bust of James Hood Wilson, An eyewitness was amazed to discover that each ball was more than a the first Minister, is displayed, and also a "Vinegar metre in diameter! The steeple top is now reinforced with iron banding, Bible", so called because of the misprint referring to but s ll has a slight lean. the Parable of the Vineyard as the Parable of the In recent mes, the spire has been inspected and repaired with Historic Vinegar. Scotland grant assistance. The light coloured ring of stone was inserted stone by stone at that me without taking the tower down. There is now addi onal stainless steel reinforcement within the tower to take the place of iron cramps and dowels which had started to crack some of the stones. If looked down on from above, the various roofs are symmetrical and form a cross, which is remarkable in a building of this kind and since much of the rest of the church is asymmetrical. The steeple, though it is the grand feature of the building, serves no useful purpose. It does contain a bell, unfortunately cracked since the day it was installed - the bell was The ‘silent’ bell dropped, but s ll had to be installed as it was to allow the ‘topping out’ to be completed. The bell is inscribed "J Barclay Church & organ console pre-1969 MURPHY FOUNDER DUBLIN 1864" and weighs about one ton. It was cast 16 9 by John Murphy, whose bells are not numerous outside Ireland and are found mainly in Roman Catholic churches. THE "FOUR" BALCONIES
The church originally seated 1200 people, and because of Pilkington's use of The original vestry of the church is tucked into the South West corner of the the space they could be seated in rela ve comfort. There was also an building and is reached here by a circular stair which winds round the overflow space in the organ lo , just behind the first balcony. The wooden chimney for the hea ng boilers. panels here also slide down the walls, allowing people standing in the lo to Moving North, you can see the slated roof over the doors with a glazed see clearly into the sanctuary. sec on and pa erned sla ng using different colours of slates. Note that the mul tude of doors are all deeply set with the inten on of Moving up to the second balcony, in the stairwell you can see a gallery with a providing shelter from the winds. It is said that the doors were designed to ladder leading to it. This was originally for the bell ringer to stand in. *(see allow protec on from the wind whichever way it was blowing - but page 9) The bell is situated above the roof area. unfortunately the architect le no instruc ons about which doors were intended to be used for which winds!! From the second balcony, the structure of the roof beams can be clearly seen. The roof is supported with parabolas, a shape very suited for THE "SLEEPING ANGELS" structural work. (Pilkington did mathema cs at university.) The beams are richly decorated, also by James Clark. The shape of the church can also be The capitals over the pillars are appreciated from here. The ground plan is only roughly symmetric, due to variously carved with angels, some the shape of the site, but becomes increasingly so as the church rises to partly finished and some le unhewn being a symmetric cross at the final roof. The shape of the main sanctuary - the so-called "sleeping angels". The provides excellent acous cs with a theatre-like design. reason for this is unclear. Two explana ons are given: To the le and right of the second gallery, just below the windows, there Rev James Hood Wilson, the first used to be two more small side balconies. These were accessed through the Minister, saw the capitals being done door to the le of the second gallery, and through a door outside in the and forbade the carving of the rest as steeple stairwell. They were taken down, however, as they were becoming idolatry unsuitable for a Free Church. unsafe. OR… For many years - while Merchiston Castle Boys School occupied the They were le uncarved because the Merchiston Castle building - the boys from the school used to sit in the costs of the building project increased second gallery when they came to the Barclay for the morning service each and insufficient funds were available Sunday. Vandalism is not new. A number of the pews in the second gallery to complete the work. s ll bear the carved ini als of some of the boys who sat in them! A gentleman in his 80s recently visited the church at a Doors Open event - a er There may be an element of truth in he came down from a visit to the top balcony he confessed to having carved both explana ons. It is unlikely that a mid-nineteenth century Free Church his ini als on one of the top balcony pews as a school boy. He apologised Minister would be enthusias c about such fanciful adornment. It is also a profusely and handed over a cheque for £100! fact that the final costs amounted to more than the £10,000 le by Miss Mary Barclay.
10 15 The four slated lucernes on the sides of the Borders. The one in use in the church came from Bruntsfield Church, which steeple which are 40 foot high, were rumoured united with Barclay Church in 1965. There are also two communion tables to be for gigan c angels with trumpets to stand in the Pillar Hall, one from Chalmers-Lauriston, and the other from in - these, fortunately perhaps, never Viewforth Church. materialised. It was on this eleva on that the south-west pinnacle fell into the street in 1974 The repea ng alcoves around each side of the church create a useful a er strong gales. Fortunately it was early in the design pa ern with some being used as doorways and others simply as morning and no one was injured - the weight of alcoves. They are unfortunately narrow and as the church walls are very the dislodged masonry would have been thick, difficult to widen to provide easier access to the Church Centre. sufficient to crush a double-decker bus! This was replaced in glass-fibre with assistance LOOKING UPWARDS from the Edinburgh Planning Commi ee as the Looking up from the centre insurance could not pay for its replacement in of the balcony you can see a stone. The plas c replica lasted approximately large round decorated 25 years un l the last phase of the Historic sec on in the roof. This is Scotland Grant Scheme which at this stage received assistance from the Baird the gasolier - not for hea ng Trust and the General Trustees of the church, as well as a grant from the building but to extract Edinburgh City as an aid to the preserva on of the skyline of the Capital City. the stuffy air from the church Above the main doors is Barclay's only stained glass. This is in the Art Deco up through the roof, to be style, such as Morris, and Bell Sco . replaced with fresh air via the many windows and doors. This Victorian ven la on A POLYCHROMATIC DESIGN system must have been To the le of the main doors are the windows for the Pillar Hall, and above necessary when the church them the Rose Window which lights the upper gallery. The arch surrounding had 1000 hot worshippers the windows shows to excellent effect the polychroma c effect of the use of inside, possibly many of them different kinds of coloured sandstones from different quarries. Unfortunately, soaked from trudging the spectacular effect of this is, for the most part, obscured by the grime of through rain or snow. The the years! ven la on ducts were opened and closed by a Around the corner, there are more doors and the curved wall of the church system of ropes and pulleys. officer's house. This was added in 1892 along with the church halls which are These s ll exist, although not next to it. This originally had no connec on to the interior, but now has a now opera onal. door so that access can be gained to the Church and Church Centre. Photograph showing the parabolic roof and Looking up before entering the building, you can see the complex roof, with gasolier pinnacles and towers surmoun ng every edge. The design is complex and impressive, but also - understandably - expensive to maintain.
14 11 INSIDE THE CHURCH When it was rebuilt in 1907 it was made much larger. To accommodate the ILLUSIONS OF SYMMETRY new pipes, a hole was knocked through the back of the wall, and an Entering the sanctuary itself, and looking to the front, the first impression is extension built out to fill the space to the tenement that had been built in one of symmetry. the mean me beside the church. The bellows which provide the air for the In the centre, the organ pipes, with the bulky pulpit underneath; to the le organ live behind the first gallery. and right massive pillars support the roof high above; and behind the curved pews of the first and second galleries. ROOF PAINTINGS
The symmetry is however decep ve. Looking closer, the front pillars are round, the back pillars square, the decora on at the tops of the pillars and the plaster work along the arches to the back of the pulpit are all different from side to side. On the le there are two main windows, to the right, one and a half. The balcony front with barley sugar posts is typical of the period. Elsewhere the plastering and carvings are interes ng in that, although they balance, they do not in fact match exactly – they are simply similar. In Victorian mes it was more economical to give good cra smen complete freedom to interpret, rather than to slavishly copy which required much measurement and checking. The Pulpit is large and ideal for a minister with an “ac ng style” – almost possible to march about. It is said to be of Caen stone but has been painted over. Looking up to the painted roof - Photo Greig McDowall The roof above the organ is painted by James Clark. The pain ng actually THE ORGAN extends up above the wooden roof that can be seen. This is because the Barclay originally had no organ. In 1873, when Moody and Sankey, the current wooden roof was actually added at a later date. The roof was great Victorian evangelists, came to originally the underside of the slated exterior roof. The suspended roof was Edinburgh and held their mee ngs added, supposedly, because the noise of the wind li ing slates as it blew in the Barclay, they had to bring from the Links drowned out the preacher! their own portable organ. In 1898 the first organ was put in by Hope- The striped decora on on the upper parts of the walls is actually painted Jones with a lacy organ case by directly on to the wooden sla ng. Again, Pilkington's use of simple repeated decora on is seen here. Sydney Mitchell. In 1907 it was rebuilt as a three-manual by Lewis and in 1969 it was restored with a To the right of the pulpit is the door to the vestry, and to the le is the door new console by Hilsdon. to the Church Centre. This was originally the door to and loca on of the session room. The original communion table was given to a church in the 12 13