South United Free Church, Schoolhill, Aberdeen

Heritage listing

Category A Date Added 12/01/1967 Local Authority Aberdeen Planning Authority Aberdeen Burgh Aberdeen NGR NJ 93875 06307 Coordinates 393875, 806307 — Archibald Simpson, 1844. Partially ruinous remainder of former 3 adjoining Gothic post-Disruption churches (see Notes), comprising 6-bay gable-ended former East Free Church (commercial premises, 2006), adjoining gable and part wall of former South Free Church to W and tall, free standing prominent landmark steeple to S. Pointed rubble with brick and sandstone dressings to church, brick to steeple. Steeple: landmark, 5-stage square-plan tower with tall octagonal spire. Angled buttresses. String courses. Tall lancet windows, some openings louvred. Pedimented pinnacles to top stage. Former East Free Church: E elevation with full height crenellated polygonal LATER entrance porch with Tudor-arch openings with moulded architraves to ground. Pointed-arch lancet windows. South Free Church gable with tripartite pointed-arch opening to N and partial return elevation. INTERIOR: (seen 2006). Former East Free Church comprehensively modernised. Timber ceiling to upper storey with decorative carved panels and fan-vaulted moulding springing from corbels. Predominantly replacement plate glass windows. Grey slates, moulded skews. — Ecclesiastically important, these remaining sections of the former Triple Kirks provide significant and prominent landmarks in Aberdeen city centre. The Triple Kirks were unique in Scotland in being 3 separate, yet adjoining churches with a common steeple. Erected in only 6 weeks, they were built in 1844 to meet the needs of 3 Free Church congregations. One church faced West, one East and the other North. They are especially distinguished by the fine tall brick steeple, constructed, unusually, in brick. Brick is a

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.