Markinch Parish Church - Fife, Scotland - Unique Steeples on Waymarking.com

The small town of Markinch is situated near the centre of the Kingdom of Fife in eastern Scotland, and was once its ancient capital. The site of the parish church, which stands on a hilltop near the centre of the town, has been a religious site dating back to the sixth century when a preaching station was said to have been established.

The original church was built in the 12th century and dedicated to the 6th century missionary, St Drostan. On July 19th 1243 it was rededicated to St John the Baptist.

From 1786-88 the church was rebuilt with the exception of the tower and pyramidal spire to the west which were retained. The unsafe spire would be replaced with an octagonal version in 1806-07.

The four-stage tower is of fine ashlar sandstone and resembles most of those built in Fife at the time. It is almost square at 17 feet by 16 feet, and is 73 feet tall to the parapet. The four stages are divided by stringcourses.

On the ground floor, a door was installed in the west elevation for the benefit of the new building, with a small narrow opening above. A small window lights the stairwell at the top left of the first stage. On the north elevation, the original door is now above ground level.

On the second stage the west face features a single narrow round-headed window right of centre. North are two small round-headed windows lighting the stairwell. On the south face is a single round-headed window.

At the base of the third stage are three small square openings which are blank, these are matched on the other faces.

The fourth stage is set back above the stringcourse. Each face has matching two light belfry openings with central columns, supporting cushion capitals below two semi-circular arches anfflanked by pilasters with cushion capitals. There are four small square openings at the four corners of each face. In the centre of each face is a large roman-faced clock, dating from 1839, with small round-arched openings above. The corbelled parapet above dates from the 18th century.

The original pyramidal spire was demolished as unsafe and was replaced with the existing octagonal spire in 1807 by James Barclay. Each face has three blind octagonal panels which diminish in size as they approach the cap and cast-iron ball finial. The four pinnacles which were placed on the four corners at the base of the spire have since been removed.

There is single bell housed inside the tower cast in 1816, and gifted to the church in 1929.