Church Overview

This handsome little rectangular town church, with its important landmark square clock tower, was built by architect George Mathewson in 1839-40 and began life as the Wallacetown Chapel of Ease. Its tower was heightened from 70ft to 110ft and some neo-Romanesque detailing was added in 1877 by the architectural partnership of Charles Ower and Leslie Ower.

When funds permitted, the Ower brothers were commissioned again by the congregation in 1891-92 to refurbish and reorder the interior of the sanctuary. A horse-shoe gallery sits at one end of the building, that is held aloft on tall, decorative, cast-iron columns that continue upwards to the Gothic arched roof-trusses and the plastered ceiling above. The brothers inserted a projecting organ chamber, containing a costly Brindley and Foster pipe organ with divided pipes into the space, a choir gallery above and a new pulpit in front of it. They also altered the general layout of the space and introduced new lighting and heating systems. The new organ briefly became the talk of the town, and the country, when several newspapers reported every detail of the ensuing congregational debate over who should be appointed to play this expensive new instrument.

On the recommendation of the architects new, simple stained glass panels were inserted into the clerestory windows and, in August 1892, a magnificent, brightly coloured, three light stained glass window, by the eminent firm of Mayer & Co of Munich, was installed behind the organ chamber. It depicts Christ calling all who labour to come and take their rest, surrounded by a number of figures, including a manacled slave, a shepherd, a pilgrim and a mother carrying her ill child in her arms.

A devastating accidental fire broke out under the pipe organ in February 1940, which narrowly avoided total loss due to the quick thinking of a passing youngster who alerted the fire brigade and the firemen’s ingenuity and bravery when extinguishing the blace. The pipe organ was completely destroyed, and the choir gallery was badly damaged and some panels were lost from the stained glass window. A William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Ltd pipe organ was installed in 1951 to replace its predecessor.

Wallacetown was renamed Trinity Parish Church in the 1980s, following its union with St Matthew’s Church and Baxter Park Church. In 2023, the congregation united with Stobswell Church, taking the new name of Dundee: Stobswell Trinity Church of Scotland and passing the Stobswell building to another denomination. The church is surrounded by a beautiful, award-winning garden, maintained by volunteers from the congregation and the church is well-used by local community groups throughout the week.

Services

Sundays at 11am

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.