Evolution of Church Building

Reordering of St.Mary’s Church - 1970’s to present day

How the building is evolving

Our Victorian church was crammed with pews when first consecrated - but seating capacity is no longer top of our priorities. 

People coming to our church no longer just sit, stand, listen and sing.  In recent decades we have gone through evolutionary steps to align the facilities within our building to the activities that we want to be able to offer and the styles of worship that take place.  

First, in the 1970s, came the removal of pews at front and back of the nave. We created an elevated “worship area” in front of the chancel where a communion table stands but which can also be used for performances of drama and music. And at the west end of church, room was created for fellowship – standing around after services with tea or coffee, or where tables and chairs can be set out for craft activities or shared meals.

Toilets and a kitchen were built at the west end, and an “office” room for storing the materials needed for new forms of worship and for junior church. In the 1990’s the Undercroft meeting room, with its attendant facilities, was built under the chancel.

In 2017 we launched a campaign to raise funds for our most recent re-ordering: first to build a new open plan kitchen and servery which was completed in 2019, and then to rebuild toilets and storage space fronted by the former chancel screen (a screen which was not original to the church architect’s design) - which was completed in 2021.

For visual presentations we now have a high-level projector operated wirelessly, projecting onto a screen which can be raised out of sight behind the chancel arch when not in use.

We have more ideas for re-ordering - such as providing an altogether more flexible space in the nave by replacing fixed pews, and taking down the office and opening up the base of the tower and its Huntly monument.

But these aspirations are inextricably intertwined with the challenges of providing a net-zero heating system to replace our gas boilers, and of providing storage space elsewhere for the contents of the ‘office’, but, importantly, retaining the unique character of the Grade2* listed building.

We don’t yet have all the answers! But all contributions of good ideas and funds and donations are most welcome.

For Further Information about this please contact:

• Andrew Pemberton - 07973 187923, andrew.pemberton@btinternet.com.