St John's Church, Deskford

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 24/03/1988 Local Authority Moray Planning Authority Moray Parish Deskford NGR NJ 50487 61505 Coordinates 350487, 861505 — John Miller, Cullen, dated 1871. Cruciform Gothic church orientated to E with entrance in W gable. Harled rubble, tooled and polished ashlar dressings and margins. Slightly advanced and pinnacled centre bay in W gable with centre entrance under pointed-headed Y-tracery light and with double-leaf plank doors with ornate cast-iron hinges. Large 2-light window above with flanking smaller pointed-headed lights, all under hoodmoulds. Apex bellcot. 5-bay flanks including shallow transepts with large traceried windows, in N transept incorporating decorative R and cross. Narrow hoodmould pointed-headed windows elsewhere; lattice-pane glazing with coloured margins. Apex cross finial; slate roof. INTERIOR: simple galleried interior with stencilled decoration to walls. Coped rubble wall encloses church, low at W (fronting road) and capped with cast-iron spearhead railings. — Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Superseded ruinous building in burial ground at Kirkton. John Miller was architect and master of works at Cullen House (Seafield Estates); he died 1880. Foundation stone laid (after completion of church) by Lord Reidhaven in presence of Earl and Countess of Seafield 13 March, 1872. Bell in bellcote re-used from old church. War memorial 1914-19 stands in front of church. Decorative window tracery incorporates R for Reidhaven; similar work in Grantown-on-Spey parish church, also gifted by Seafield family (1884-6)

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.