Lecropt Kirk

NN79NE 67.00 78050 97941

NN79NE 67.01 78087 97931 Churchyard

NN79NE 67.02 78104 97896 Lodge

NN79NE 67.03 78436 97958 Lecropt House (Manse)

NN79NE 204 78512 97835 Lecropt School

ARCHITECT: William Stirling I, 1824-6.

This church was built in 1826 and is still in use.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 12 November 1968.

Lecropt Kirk (NAT)

OS 1:2500 map, 1973.

Lecropt Church was recorded as part of the Threatened Buildings Survey. The survey was prompted by the proposed closure and sale of the church as part of the re-organisation of the Church of Scotland’s estate.

Lecropt Church was built 1824-6 to the designs of William Stirling I. David Hamilton appears to have also been involved. The principal heritors of the church were the Stirlings of Keir whose burial vault lies beneath the church. It was built to replace an earlier church with 13th century origins. The original drawings by William Stirling are in the National Record of the Historic Environment (DP108454-108464). It is a rectangular building with a shallow chancel to the south, a tower to the north and entrance porches to the east and west.

The tower entrance originally only gave access to the Stirling family Gallery with the rest of the congregation entering by the east and west porches. In 1963-4 the church interior was re-ordered and steps were introduced linking the Stirling Gallery to the rest of the church. This made the north tower entrance the main access to the building for everyone. The plans in the NRHE show the original arrangement of the south end with a double decker central pulpit flanked by box pews. The panelling of the original pulpit matches that on the Stirling Gallery front. A similar pulpit can be seen at St Martins Parish Church, Perthshire (SC397491). The platform area was raised and re-ordered before the alterations of 1963-4. The organ by Blacket & Howden of 1885 was moved from Keir House and installed in 1905 when a series of alterations were made including the creation of a vestry in the west porch. The date and maker of the elaborate pulpit supported on columns is unknown. The original pews were replaced in the later 19th century but the original plaster vaulted ceiling survives which is more elaborate above the gallery and the chancel. Stirling family monuments adorn the north wall of the church.

The stained glass includes the South window gifted by Andrew Pullar in 1911 by Alfred Webster. The Young Memorial window on the south side of the platform of 1907 is by Stephen Adam. A further window by Adam of 1905 is above the west porch. Above the east porch is Dunblane Massacre Memorial window by Neil and Bryan Hutchison of 1998. North of the east porch is a window by Carrick Whalen of 1972 and on opposite on the north wall of the nave is a window by Roland Mitton of 1990. The artist of the window on the west side of the platform is yet to be identified.