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Greyfriars John Knox Church (Former)
Date 14 June 2011
Event ID 916362
Category Management
Type Site Management
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/916362
Perpendicular Gothic church with nave and single aisle and large, tall, crocketted and finialled, 3-stage square-plan entrance tower with angled buttresses and spire to W (Broad Street). Adjoining Marischal College (see separate listing). Large 16th century 7-light tracery window to chancel on E elevation incorporated from previous church (see Notes). Grey Kenmay granite ashlar. String course, cill course, buttresses to 6-bay aisle at S (Queen Street). Deep-set rectangular and bipartite windows to S with splayed reveals. Predominantly multi-pane fixed leaded-pane windows, some with hoppers. Grey slates. Cast-iron rainwater goods.
Integrally designed to form the crucial SW corner of the nationally important Marischal College and by the same renowned local architect, A Marshall Mackenzie, this Church, with its impressive and imposing tower is an important building within the city centre and a defining landmark. Taking its cue from Marshall's celebrated Gothic addition to Marischal College, the Greyfriars John Knox Church is embellished with an array of finials and crockets. Refined work in granite only became possible after steam technology allowed for more sophisticated cutting techniques in the 1830s. A 16th century tracery window has been incorporated into the present church and now has stained glass by C E Kempe. It is likely that the carved timber choir stalls in the chancel also came from the previous church.
The original Greyfriars Collegiate Church was built in 1532 by Franciscan monks and lay at right angles and to the North of the present church, along Broad Street. It was incorporated into Marischal College, which was founded in 1593. The college was rebuilt between 1837-41 and further extended between 1893-97. It was this extension along Broad Street which caused the original collegiate Church to be demolished and after much negotiation between the Town Council, Church and University, Marshall Mackenzie built this replacement in the same Perpendicular Gothic Style as the college extension. It formed an integral part of the whole site.
A Marshall Mackenzie (1848-1933) was a Scottish architect of national repute. Although mainly associated with building in the North-East of Scotland, he also received the prestige of a Royal Commission in 1895 when asked to build the new Mar Lodge outside Braemar for Queen Victoria's grand-daughter, the Duchess of Fife. His output includes many significant public buildings in Aberdeen including The Harbour Offices and Aberdeen Art Gallery. (Historic Scotland)
