Moncur Memorial Church

Heritage listing

Category C Date Added 22/01/2008 Local Authority Orkney Islands Planning Authority Orkney Islands Parish Stronsay NGR HY 65428 25151 Coordinates 365428, 1025151 — Leslie Grahame MacDougall. 1953-5. Tall cruciform church in prominent location with raised chancel and lower transepts, round arched openings and shouldered gables. Harled masonry; some reinforced concrete; red sandstone basecourse, projecting cills and eaves course. Pair of buttresses to nave (N and S) elevations capped with red sandstone flags. Entrance in gabled porch in SW corner. Dutch-gabled bellcote to S transept. Memorial plaque in W elevation below tall narrow window. Circa 1900 L-plan church hall wing adjoined to N. Small-pane glazing set in fixed and top hopper lights. Grey slate, red sandstone skews, cast-iron rainwater goods INTERIOR: plain yet distinguished interior with open timber king-post roof structure set on red sandstone corbels. Tall and narrow round arched windows to nave, paired small clerestory windows to chancel. Central communion table at crossing with pulpit and lectern flanking. Distinctive 1950s light fittings. Timber memorial plaque on W elevation. Stained glass window to chancel depicting The Good Shepherd, by Marjory Kemp of Edinburgh; stained glass border glazing to nave windows. — Moncur Memorial Church is a large and distinctive building designed by one of the leading architects of his period. The height of the building is striking, more so as the chancel is set higher than the body of the church. The tall narrow windows further emphasise this verticality. The church is set in the middle of the island of Stronsay and makes a strong contribution to the landscape. The interior of the church is basic but has considerable character through its open roof structure and use of tall

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.