Talk:Kirkcudbrightshire Towns and Villages U

Urr

There has been a religious building on the site of Urr Parish Church since the early 1600's, a wooden panel from the ulpit of the first church can be found in the present building. The original church was replaced in the 1700's by a second building which in turn underwent a series of major works until plans were drawn up to consturct the current building now in use today. The foundation stone of the present building was laid in 1914, inspiration for the building came from the then minister, Rev. Dr David Frew, (author of the ‘The Parish of Urr’, published in 1909) and the Glasgow architect Patrick McGregor Chalmers designed the building.

The churches within Dalbeattie have often changed alleigance to different church organisations;

Burnside United Free Church is now Blair House flats. It was originally the United Presbyterian Church. It closed sometime late 1920's/early 1930's. It has also been used in the past as a militart/drill hall, school meals facility and latterly a Boys Club. There was a mural by the famous artist Jessie M. King which was removed for safekeeping to Kirkcudbright Museum.

St Peter’s Church built from pink granite for Roman Catholic congregation in 1816 was sightly different in appearance to the building of today, the addition of the tower during 1850 using a grey granite resulted in the building as it appears to the present day visitor.

Christ Church (Episcopal Church in Scotland) , circa 1875, is sometimes called The English Church and The Quarrymen’s Church due to it having been built for men incoming to the area and working at the granite quarries around town who required an Anglican service. The staple product of the quarries being a grey granite and used in the construction of Liverpool docks, the Thames Embankment and Eddystone Lighthouse as well as many overseas projects.

Dalbeattie Parish Church (Church of Scotland). Constucted in 1880 with a capacity of around 500, the semicircular apse features five stained glass windows, externally a Bible Garden is quite a recent addition. Historically the churchhas sometimes been called Craignair Church because while there were 2 Church of Scotland churches in town, they had to have different names.It was at the same time that Park Church became so named.

Park Church (Baptist) but formerly the Free Church of Scotland then Colliston United Free Church and then Church of Scotland from the late 1920's till the congregation merged with that of Craignair Church which is now known as Dalbeattie Parish Church.

Evangelical Union Congregational Church is now a private house. It has also been known in the past as The Morisonian Church. The building was latterly used as a Scout Hall.

Cameronian Meeting House is now a private house. Note the chimneys at each corner in the image, a remnant of the Cameronian way of posting lookouts in all directions to protect the worshippers in the centre.
In 1842 the building was purchased from the Cameronians and became a Chapel of Ease for Urr Church. However, in 1843 after the Disruption, the majority of the congregation and the minister seceded to the Free Church of Scotland, leaving a small minority remaining with the Church of Scotland. For a while, these two congregations disputed the rights to the building. The majority party later became Colliston Free Church (now known as Park Church) and the minority became Dalbeattie Parish Church (once know as Craignair Church).

Back to Kirkcudbrightshire Parishes U