Former Holyrood Free Church, Abbey Strand, Edinburgh. EH8 8BX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member greysman
N 55° 57.157 W 003° 10.444
30U E 489130 N 6200819
The Bell Cote on the former Holyrood Free Church held two bells.
Waymark Code: WMQX1D
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/08/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 5

The former Holyrood Free Church is a category B Listed building at the eastern end of the Royal Mile and was thought to have been intended to be the church attached to the school next door. The school was built by Archibald Simpson in 1846 but before he could build the church he died. The church was then completed with a much reduced budget by John Henderson in 1850. The church and school were converted in 2002 by Benjamin Tindall Architects, together with the addition of an entrance created between church and school with central round arch, to form art gallery, now the Queen's Gallery.

The church is of a T-plan, four bays to the north, and the gabled end with bell cote facing west. Of Gothic design it's on the corner of Horses Wynd and Abbey Strand, gables to Horses Wynd. Built of squared and snecked sandstone it has a slightly advanced gabled porch to the west elevation with a hoodmoulded doorway, square buttresses supporting the west front with a blocked two-light traceried window, the two recessed opening gabled bell cote, and cross finial above a circular blind window. The four two-light openings to the north have stone mullions.

Archibald Simpson (1790-1847), was one of the major architects involved in designing the expanding nineteenth century city of Aberdeen. John Henderson (1804-62) was a pupil of Thomas Hamilton and specialised somewhat in church buildings.
Address of Tower:
Former Holyrood Free Church
Abbey Strand
Edinburgh, Scotland UK
EH8 8BX


Still Operational: no

Number of bells in tower?: 0

Rate tower:

Tours or visits allowed in tower?: No

Relevant website?: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Bell Towers
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.