Church Overview

This prominent Motherwell landmark church opened its doors in 1874 as the new Dalziel Parish Church, designed by Glasgow architect David Thomson to replace the 18th century building of the same name on Windmillhill Street. The archetypal Neo-Gothic church, with its square, three stage, 132 foot high tower with distinctive broached spire, initially had a capacity of 913.

A new extension, designed by the firm of Thomson & Menzies, was added in 1896-6, expanding the sanctuary and adding halls, rooms and a residence for a church officer. Further halls, designed by Cullen, Lochhead & Brown, were added in 1963 and a manse built within its grounds in 1990-91. The union of the former Dalziel and St Andrew’s Church of Scotland congregations occurred in September 1996, the parish of Dalziel has a history stretching back to the 12th century, while St Andrew’s was a daughter church of the older parish.

Today, the main sanctuary structure is cruciform in shape, with a tiered gallery around the south east end, reached by the flanking stair towers. The church is beautifully illuminated by a variety of stunning stained glass windows. These include the coats of arms of the Hamiltons of Dalzell, relocated to the church in 1899, a 1926 window in the west transept by William Meikle & Sons portraying “The Good Shepherd”, “The Act of Mercy” portrayed in the east transept by Isobel Goudie in 1939, “King David the Harpist” by Meikle & Sons from 1932 in the north transept and, from 1956, “The Calling of St Andrew and St Peter” by Douglas Hamilton in the west aisle.

The church possesses a pipe organ by the German firm of E.F. Walcker & C0, dated 1900. This fine and rare musical instrument was restored to full working order in the autumn of 2012, during a period of extensive repair and reordering inside and outside the church. This work saw the removal of the original dark-wood pews, to create a more accessible space appropriate to the needs of today, and the installation of new heating and bespoke lighting. The area of the chancel was also extended and a glass partition was added to one of the transepts, to create a quiet space and meeting room. New audio-visual equipment was also installed, allowing services to broadcast on the church’s YouTube channel. The sanctuary is now suitable for a wide range of community events and concerts.

Services

Sundays: 11.00 am

Opening Arrangements

Open by arrangement

Disclaimer

The information about churches in Scotland’s Churches Scheme has been provided by the congregations or taken from the Historic Scotland list and published sources, in particular, the Buildings of Scotland volumes and the RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guides. To contact this specific church please complete the Contact this Church form above. The information is not authoritative; please contact Scotland’s Churches Trust to let us know of any errors or omissions.