Bellie Kirk is a Georgian church of neoclassical design in

Fochabers Fochabers (; gd, Fachabair or Fothabair) is a village in the Parish of Bellie, in Moray, Scotland, east of the cathedral city of Elgin and located on the east bank of the River Spey. 1,728 people live in the village, which enjoys a rich musi ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, built in 1798 for the 4th Duke of Gordon. It has been in continuous use as a place of worship within the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

, and is designated as a

Category A listed building Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally *Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) *Category (Kant) * Categories (Peirce) * ...

History

The building was constructed between 1795 and 1798 for the 4th Duke of Gordon as the centrepiece for his planned village of

, to replace the existing

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

, now known as Bellie Old Church, which fell into disrepair after the congregation moved to Bellie Kirk. Little now remains of the old church itself, but the churchyard remained in use for some time and houses the 1826 Gordon Tomb. Bellie Kirk was designed by John Baxter, an Edinburgh architect who had studied in Rome, and its exterior has remained largely unaltered since it was completed in 1798, although some repairs and alterations were carried out in 1835 under the direction of Archibald Simpson, who also designed the nearby

Gordon Chapel Gordon Chapel is a nineteenth century church in Fochabers, Scotland. It is part of the Scottish Episcopal Church, under the governance of the United Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness. Designated as a category A listed building, it was original ...

. This work saw the reversal of the internal layout, and the application of Greek detailing. The church's use as an active place of worship within the

has continued uninterrupted since it was built. Renovation work was carried out under George Bennet Mirchell and Son in 1954, in which the original orientation of the interior was restored. It was designated as a

category A listed building Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally *Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) *Category (Kant) * Categories (Peirce) * ...

in 1971. It underwent another substantial major renovation in 2010, with the removal of the fixed pews in favour of movable seating, and another reorientation of the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, and the removal of the organ.

Description

The church faces north towards Fochabers' High Street across The Square, presenting a tetrastyle portico frontage (the first of its kind in Scotland), with pedimented Roman Doric columns, all made of finely worked ashlar sandstone. The spire, the design of which was influenced by the work of

James Gibbs James Gibbs (23 December 1682 – 5 August 1754) was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Aberdeen, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England. He is an important figure whose work spanned the transi ...

, has a square clock stage, featuring a clock dated 1798, and an octagonal belfry, surmounted with a copper weathervane. Three doors lead from the portico into the entrance lobby, which has mirrored staircases leading to the galleries, which run along the east and west sides, and may have been installed during Simpson's 1835 alterations; the galleries are supported by Greek Doric columns. A trilogy of stained glass windows by Shona McInnes was installed in 1998, showing images of growth and harvest, the tree of life, and the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Current Usage

The church is an active place of worship, with weekly Sunday services at 10 am. The incumbent minister is Rev Seòras Orr.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Parish Website
Churches in Moray 18th-century Presbyterian churches Category A listed buildings in Moray Church of Scotland churches in Scotland Listed churches in Scotland 18th-century Church of Scotland church buildings Neoclassical church buildings in Scotland