Saint Columba
Name of Building: St Columba's (Old) Parish Church
Location: Stornoway
Listing: Category B
Project: St Columba’s old Parish Church of Scotland is the oldest church in Stornoway and is believed to be one of the oldest buildings in town. It is a solid and well-maintained building that dates from 1794. The window openings were made in framed blond sandstone (thought to be from Orkney) and glazed with traditional leaded glass throughout building. The church does not contain any pictorial stained glass but the leaded glass windows are highly decorative therefore are an attractive feature of the building. This glazing dates to the 1885 extension and interior upgrade gifted by Lady Matheson of the Lews.
Conservation Approach:
The leaded glass windows had degraded as expected due to their age. The windows throughout the church were protected by sheet glass, divided by horizontal metal T –Sections. As vandalism had never been an issue in this area, it is possible that this external glazing would have been installed as a solution to seal the ageing and most likely leaking leaded glass. All windows have been releaded and a new design has been done to complete the glazing scheme of the church.
Before
In Progress
After
