Greyfriars Episcopal Church, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway
N 54° 50.222 W 004° 03.140
30U E 432412 N 6077164
This building was originally part of a large Episcopalian monastery, which was knocked down to build MacLellan's Castle, opposite. It contains the MacClellan Monument, erected in 1597.
Waymark Code: WM5YR0
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/02/2009
Views: 2
The monastery of Franciscan Friars was founded in or about 1455. Its boundaries covered a large area including present streets of Castle Street, High Street and St Cuthbert's Street to the harbour. The friary kirk was used as the parish church until 1730. By then the whole friary had been pulled down and material used to build a wall around the mound beside the church. Except for the Castle Aisle which was the burial place of the MacLellans, who built the castle. This aisle was incorporated into the later buildings, of which an Episcopal church was the first in 1600's and Greyfriars is the latest. Prior to being dedicated as a church in 1920, it was a church school, converted from the parish church, in 1838. (
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Basically the building was used by the Episcopal Church until 1689. 1689 to 1836 was used by the Presbyterian Church. Greyfriars was converted to a school, known as Castle School, by Lady Isabella Hope. Finally it was purchased as a memorial to Lieutenant Leslie Reid by his mother Lady Watts, and once again became the Episcopal Church in 1922.
"The building is a simple stone structure, which shows its Presbyterian origins and the undistinguished windows portray not only biblical characters but, uniquely in the Scottish Episcopal church, Martin Luther and John Knox. The building has a charm of its own."
Interior shots were used on the film, The Wicker Man. (
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Historic Scotland notes on building' dates (
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Streetmap (
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