Gateside, Main Road, Edenshead Church

The Fife Places of Worship Pilot Project ended in March 2008. From April 2008 the survey has continued on a more restricted scale, with volunteers. The current effort is mainly targeted on editing and ensuring that the image collection has been fully annotated.

The aim of the project has been to design and test the methodology, as part of a Scotland-wide record, in particular through images of each building or site and by creating a brief description. This refers to all places of worship, past and present, from archaeological sites to newly built buildings and includes all place of worship, not only listed buildings.

Some 700 sites were recorded in Fife and the team visited the vast majority, though about 50 remain to be visited. Many places are well-known, such as Dunfermline Abbey (Site 2260: NT0898 8731) or Leuchars parish church (Site 1349: NO4554 2139); others are less well known, and in many cases the name was the only information previously available. In the latter case, Gospel Halls, eg Ladybank, (Site 9898: NO 3043 0994) or Mormon churches, eg The Church of Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Kirkcaldy (Site 8126: NT2704 9255), were among many to be recorded for the first time, as were two Islamic Centres (Site 10606: NT283 920 and Site 10577: NT2709 9369). No synagogues were recorded, but unconfirmed information, to be followed up, indicates that a Jewish centre has been developed in the Chaplaincy at St Andrews.

The website also includes churches under threat and two examples are given below:

Gateside, Edenshead

NO 1837 0935 Site number 1498. Built in in1827 as a United Secession Church, later becoming a Church of Scotland church. Closed in 2008 and to be sold. A simple rural church in red sandstone, there are alterations that suggest modifications to the building at an early stage. The church has a set of important war memorial

windows.

At present planning for the next geographical area, from the Tay to the Moray Firth, is under way and will start as soon as funding is in place. The website is to be updated in the near future with a ‘how you can help’ button and a form to allow individuals to add data for any church. These records will be checked and then uploaded. Membership of schr is now available.

Website: www.scottishchurchheritage.org.uk or Google: type in schr to access the home page.

Funder: HLF, Leader+, Church of Scotland, St Andrews Heritage Services

Edwina Proudfoot, 2008