Talk:Roxburghshire Towns and Villages G

Galashiels

There are many Places of Worship in Galashiels, not all of them are featured in the images or historical information at present, locating their sites is somewhat of a problem due to closures, unions and name changes over the years.

A report c1881 lists the following places of worship;
Parish Church of 1813
Ladhope church, constituted in 1855
The West church, constituted in 1870
In Nov. 1881 a fine new church was opened, (now known to be Old Parish and St Pauls)
Galashiels Free church, built in 1875
The East United Presbyterian church, built in 1844, (now known as Holy Trinity)
The West United Presbyterian church of 1880
The South United Presbyterian church, opened in Aug. 1880.
St Peter's Episcopal church
The Roman Catholic church of Our Lady and St Andrew, opened in 1858, (construction completed in 1872).
Evangelical Union chapel (rebuilt 1872); two Baptist chapels, Galashiels (1804) and Stirling Street (1875); two meeting-houses of Plymouth Brethren; and one of Christadelphians.

St Aidan's (CofS) alternatively known as The South United Presbyterian Church has been closed to worshippers when the congregation united with Holy Trinity Church (see below). Construction took place during 1879 and 1880 at a cost of £5,000 and involved two architects to produce the design.

Ladhope Free Church, later known as St Andrew's and now known as St Andrew's Arts Centre sits on Bridge Street. One of the later Galashiels churches (although built at a busy time for church construction in the town), plans were originally drawn up in the early 1880's and construction completed during 1885. The spire that topped the tower was removed years ago for safety reasons.

Holy Trinity Church (CofS) is a very recent name (2007) for what was originally the United Secession Church, (also known at assorted dates as St Columba's Church and East United Presbyterian Church). The original 1844 structure was enlarged in the 1860's. In 1928 new halls and changes to interior fittings were made, the halls being built on what was the smallest burial ground in Galashiels. The congregation today is a union of several Galashiels churches inluding those from the former St Andrew's and St Aidan's church buildings.

Old Parish and St Pauls Church was built to replace the existing Parish Church (built 1813) which had become outgrown by the growing population of Galashiels. Plans were drawn up during the 1870's by George Henderson to a Gothic Revival style, the church opened for worship in 1881. The site covers just over an acre, and funds for the construction were met in the main by the Manufacturers of the Woolen Industry.
Internally the church features many fine carvings on a wooden canopy, constructed below the organ pipes. Seating for 950 is provided amid open pews. Stained glass windows have been added throughout the life of the church, most recently in 2003. The porch was added in 1922.

Gala Aisle is all that remains of the Parish Kirk dating from 1617 to 1812, the aisle is in fact a burial aisle added to the original building, it is thought that two such aisles were added to give the kirk a cruciform shape. As the population of Galashiels grew the kirk became too small, it had been extended previously but at 70 feet long and just eighteen feet wide drastic action was needed. The building was also in a poor state of repair so the new parish church was constructed and the old kirk demolished in 1812. The kirkyard continued to be used as a burial ground throughout much of the 1800's, and is known as the old burial ground.

Our Lady and St Andrew Roman Catholic Church sits alongside the main eastbound road through Galashiels, much of the adjacent area has seen major re-developement and road re-alignment to improve traffic flow. The building opened in 1858 but was not fully completed until the 1870's. Gothic styled and with a capacity of around 400 though the scale of the building suggests the capacity should perhaps be greater.

St Peter's Episcopal Church like the nearby but later Old Parish and St Pauls Church is Gothic Revival style and attributed to Henderson and Hay. This particular building dates to 1853 though the addition of the chancel and South Aisle took place in 1881. The builoding is set high within a lawned area and graveyard. The reredos is a much later addition, fitted around 1914, by chance the current organ was installed the same year as the current Parish Church opened.

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