Church Overview

Formed in 1975, the congregation of Gorebridge Parish Church was formed following a union of three different local ecclesiastical parishes – Temple, St. Paul’s and Stobhill. ​The church at Temple was originally founded in 1143 after David I, King of Scotland, gave land to the Knights Templar, a medieval Catholic military order. After the Reformation the church at Temple became part of the Reformed Church of Scotland. First established in the 1860s as a Free Church of Scotland congregation, the church at St Paul’s was converted to a United Free Presbyterian church before the great reunion of 1929 saw its congregation become part of the Church of Scotland.

​A church at Stobhill was established in 1837-38 as a mission church, under the oversight of Newbattle Parish, to reach the rapidly expanding community settling in Gorebridge because of the new mine workings. It was the first of hundreds of churches built under the Church Extension Scheme pioneered by theologian Thomas Chalmers. The original church building was almost entirely rebuilt 1884-85, by the architectural firm of Hardy & Wright, who gave the cruciform building its beloved landmark Gothic spire.

It was Stobhill Parish Church that was retained in 1975, following the union of the parishes, and soon renamed as Gorebridge Parish Church. St. Paul’s was, for a time, occupied by Struther’s Memorial Church, and is now home to Newbyres Nursery. The original Temple Church building is now a ruin, surrounded by some remarkable grave memorials.

Services

Sundays: see website

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.