Old West Kirk

Another stunning day, so stopped off at the Esplanade in Greenock to take some shots of the Old West Kirk, now called Lyle Community Kirk.

The Old West Kirk is steeped in history. Originally built in 1591 at Westburn, but in 1926, to make way for expansion of the Harland & Wolff shipyard (the present-day location of Container Way), the church was moved stone by stone to the corner of the Esplanade, with a new tower designed by James Miller. The masonry, window tracery and balustraded forestair are all original.

Also moved from the old site are the surrounding headstones and graveslabs, some bearing trade emblems or coats of arms. Inside the church are four galleries originally intended to be occupied by the Schawe family, the family of Crawford (sometimes spelt Crawfurd), the sailors and the farmers of the parish.

The Church has a remarkable collection of stained glass, including windows by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabrielle Rossetti, and Daniel Cottier. Behind the octagonal pulpit is a mural panel by the local artist Ian Philips, 1991.

The Church also has a copy of the Royal Charter signed in 1589 by king James giving permission for the church to be built and making it the first reformation church to be built in Scotland

My next challenge is to take photos of the stained glass.