Church Overview

Victorian Gothic building designed for the Free Church of Scotland by John, William Hardie & James Murdoch. Hay, Scottish brothers who set up a renowned architectural practice in Liverpool, and constructed 1853 by builder Thomas Bonnar.

Architects Campbell Douglas and James Sellars added the vestry and session house in 1878 and William Leiper designed the porch, a new hall and redecorated its interior in 1892. Following a disastrous fire in 1924, that almost destroyed the building, the cruciform-plan church was fully restored by architect Robert Wemyss,

It possesses and impressive panelled interior, with fine woodwork and a half-timbered ceiling supported on stone corbels. There is a gallery in each transept and stencil and gold leaf decoration throughout the chancel. The 1894 pipe organ is by Hill and was rebuilt by Hill, Norman & Beard.

Helensburgh Parish Church also has exceptionally fine stained glass, by artists such as Gordon Webster and Guthrie and Wells, and includes memorial windows to Andrew Bonar Law, one-time Prime Minister, and John Logie Baird, inventor of television and son of the manse in Helensburgh. Many of its windows had to be heavily restored following the fire.

Over the years it has been known as West Free Church, the West United Free Church, the West Established Church, the West Parish Church, the West Kirk and Helensburgh Parish Church.

Services

Sunday: 11.00 am; Wednesday 12.30pm (most of the year, followed by soup)

Opening Arrangements

Open daily all year approx 9.00am-5.00pm, usually door facing square, turn handle and push.  Office and Halls also open Mon-Fri, please see church’s own website for hours.

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.