Newtongrange Parish Church and Hall, Main Street, Newtongrange

A Murray Hardie, 1939-1942. Modern, harled church with traditional details; crowstepped bell tower; dormer windows; flying buttresses; deep sloping green slate roof. Long and short concrete surrounds to all but dormer and N transept windows; concrete base course.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: advanced 4 staged tower; recessed, arched 2-leaf door; cross inscribed keystone. Single window to 2nd stage. 4th stage lancet window; flanking rectangular timber louvred openings. Bays flank entrance; single window in each bay; long and short concrete quoins.

N ELEVATION: window at 3rd stage of tower; rectangular window with flanking timber louvred openings at 4th stage. 3 nave windows; 4 stepped flying buttresses. 3 lancet windows in N transept gable; 1 in right return. 2 gabled dormers wholly in roof; 2 lancet windows with cills to each dormer. Irregular fenestration to extension which connects to hall.

E ELEVATION: advanced 5 sided apse; 3 stained glass lancet windows. Lancet window with flanking timber louvred rectangular openings at 4th stage of tower.

S ELEVATION: 4 windows; 6 stepped flying buttresses. 3 gabled dormers wholly in roof; 2 lancet windows with cills to each dormer. Window at 3rd stage of tower; 4th stage window with flanking timber louvred rectangular openings. Single storey harled building connects church to hall.

Deep sloping green slated roof with shoulders to entrance. Overhanging eaves. Red clay ridge; raised skews to E gable and N transept gables with skewputts. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

CHURCH HALL: 1935. Rectangular hall to rear of church; rough harl render; concrete window cills, base course at entrance and coped gables.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: advanced porch; arched doorway; concrete surrounds; 2-leaf door. Coped gablehead to porch; skewputts; square finial. Flanking flat-roofed bays; single window at each bay. Ventilation slit with concrete dressings in S gable apex behind porch; kneelered gable. Door in flat-roofed extension to far right; projecting surround to door tapers to ground; concrete coping to wall head.

W ELEVATION: regularly placed pilasters and windows; corbelled eaves course.

N ELEVATION: piend vestry extension projects from hall N gable to transept; door and irregular fenestration. Rectangular opening in gable apex; part timbered and louvred.

E ELEVATION: regularly placed pilasters and truncated windows; corbelled eaves course; square rendered chimney projecting from wall. Flat-roofed addition; regular fenestration; 2 right bays recessed; door in right return; steps at far right lead to basement.

Green slate roof; clay ridge tiles. Central louvred octagonal ventilator; ogee roof; spike and ball finial.

BOUNDARY WALL AND RAILINGS: low concrete plinth (brick to N), intermittently raised, supporting plain cast-iron railings. Taller brick wall to SE and E with rounded concrete coping.

Alec Hardie was the son of Reverend Hardie, the first minister of the parish who preached at the church on Newbattle Road (now the Masonic Hall). The church hall was in fact the church, built as a hall church under the Church Extension Scheme for the growing congregation which moved from Newbattle Road to Newtongrange. The church was built 1939 and opened in 1942. Due to subsidence problems which continue to affect the buildings, the flying buttresses were added in 1945. There are no fixed pews in the church, only free standing wooden chairs. (Historic Environment Scotland)

27 January 2022: Listed building consent (21/00733/LBC) being sought for demolition of the church hall (adjoins the church to the rear of the site) and planning permission in principle (21/00701/PPP) being sought for residential development and associated works on the resulting site. For investigation.

2 February 2022: External inspection finds the building to be in good condition. There are some signs of damp and gutters that need to be cleared but appears to be maintained. The land adjacent to and that upon which the church currently stands is being marketed for sale as a development opportunity through the Church of Scotland. Permissions (detailed previously) are being sought to repair the church and bring it back into use as a place of worship with the adjoining hall being demolished and replaced by new build residential development.

Post survey update 29/03/2022: The development site is now Under Offer.

27 August 2024: Marketing details removed.