ailsa craig

History

Girvan Old Church of St Cuthbert

Girvan Old Church of St CuthbertGirvan Old Church of St Cuthbert was built in 1770 at head of Hamilton Street, now known as Church Square.

The Rev Roderick Lawson, in his book "Places of Interest Around Girvan" wrote, " The Parish Church in my boyish days stood at the head of Hamilton Street. It no longer exists, having been taken down in 1883, and a much handsomer church erected close by. The old church was built in 1770, and I have no doubt was a handsome edifice then, and a great improvement on the parallelogram that did duty for a church in the churchyard. But times change, and the old church, before it was removed, had become an eyesore, both externally and internally. I can well remember the earthen floor, the narrow pews guiltless of paint, the old pulpit with a precentor's desk in front, putting one in mind of a two decker, and which, when I was latterly permitted to preach in it, I found to be so deep that I had to place one stool on the top of another to make myself visible. I can remember, too, the last minister of it remarking to some members of Presbytery who were visiting it, "The state of this church speaks for itself." "Yes," was the reply, "it is of age, and has a full right to do so."
While this church was no architectural gem, it did valiant service for the parish through Girvan's most turbulent times. During the century of its existence, the population of the parish rose from 1100 in the year of its erection to a peak of almost 8000 at the census of 1851, then rapidly declining to slightly more than 4000 in the year of its demolition.
This T plan church was demolished in 1884 and replaced by a new church in Montgomerie Street, now Girvan North Parish Church.