Dunscore Parish Church Registered Scottish Charity SC016060. Congregation Number 080454. Bogrie, Dunscore DG2 0UT. 01387 820480. Janet Johnstone Secretary to Dunscore Community Council. 11 April 2016 Dear Janet, Thank you for your letter of Mar 16 advising that the Council had passed a motion This Community Council request Dunscore Church Board to ensure that the A listed interior of Dunscore Church is preserved intact. The Board appreciates the Council s interest in the future of the church building and considered the letter carefully at our meeting on 5 Apr. It has never been the Board s intention to make any changes to the A listed interior of the church that would not enhance the interior as a place of worship and as a community asset. The Church of Scotland Committee on Church Art and Architecture (CARTA) has full devolved powers from Historic Scotland regarding listed Church of Scotland churches. Their remit is explained on website www.resourcingmission.org.uk/carta/about. Before any alterations to the interior of a church can be made, CARTA must first approve the plans as appropriate for an A listed building. Two members of CARTA visited the church in Nov 15 and they reported to the CARTA Committee on the Board s proposals for change. This report was considered by the full CARTA Committee. 1
They were happy with the outline plans and pronounced it a worthy project. I have attached their report and minutes of the CARTA meeting as an Annex A to this letter. The description of the Historic Scotland A listing for our church highlights the following features as particularly worthy of note: Interior: horseshoe gallery, with panelled front, on plain columns; curved pulpit below domed sounding board, latter supported by pilastered and panelled back board on west wall; flanking doors at middle stage of tower, with flight of steps to each. It is not proposed to change any of these features and indeed we feel that the alterations will make these features stand out more prominently when you enter the building. It is of note that neither the pews (installed 1909/10), nor the partition at the back of the church (added in the 1991), nor the chancel (which was modified in the 1960s) receive particular mention in the listing statement and it is clear that the CARTA Committee are satisfied that it is possible to alter these without affecting the A listing. The final decision on the exact details of the alterations will be taken by the Congregational Board when we have received the result of the tendering process and know what we can afford. In conclusion, we believe that we can reassure the Community Council that the interior of the church will be altered in a way that is sympathetic to the A listing. You may recall that in 2010, our church was one of those potentially at risk under the then proposed ten year Presbytery Plan. The entire community was consulted on the way forward and we had 112 responses to our survey. As required by the Church of Scotland, the Session produced a document Mapping the Future laying out aspirations for the church in Dunscore for the 10 years to 2020. This was approved by the Presbytery and our ability to retain a minister was ensured. The decline in rural congregations will mean that Presbytery may well have to look again at the viability of rural churches in the near future. We believe that our plans for the future of Dunscore Church help to give it a positive and sustainable future. The Board believes that the proposals will be a way of implementing some of the steps in that 10-year plan, namely: Making the church building a more open and flexible worship/event space, Adapting the church to increase its suitability for a wider variety of uses, 2
Opening up the church more often for private reflection time, talks and discussion groups, and Using the church alongside the village hall to allow large events to take place. We note from your minutes of the CC meeting on 21 Mar 16: That there seemed to be some question regarding the funding of the work. I attach a clarification as Annex B. That appreciation was also shown for the work which the Church was presently carrying out. Thank you for that. The following motion was agreed by the Church Board at its meeting on 5 th April: To proceed with present proposals for changes to the interior of the church building. For 16 Against 5 Abstention 1 We realise that change can be difficult but we have to look to the future and a substantial majority of the Board is enthusiastic about the plans. I hope that the Community Council, having heard a bit more of the background to the project, will now feel reassured and able to support us. We would like to assure the Community Council that the Church Board works hard to ensure the spiritual and financial sustainability of the Church. Please do not hesitate to get back to me if there are any queries. Yours sincerely, John Drabble Clerk to the Board. 3
Annex A (Part 1) to Drabble letter 11 Apr 16. Church of Scotland letter of 11 Mar 16. Dear Mr Drabble, Please see below the extract from the minute of the recent CARTA meeting on 25th February 2016: 6.02 DUMFRIES & KIRKCUDBRIGHT: Dunscore 1/w Glencairn and Moniaive. Rebecca Cadie noted an interest and left the meeting for this item as she is the architect appointed by the church. Bill Hogg identified himself as the Presbytery Clerk and declared an interest. The Committee noted that the Secretary had received three objections to the proposed alterations and that the Clerk to the Board had provided a detailed account of the steps taken to consult both the congregation and the community. It also noted the outcome of the open meeting in December and the subsequent decision of the Board to proceed with a modified version of option 2 (in which some pews are to be retained). The Committee was satisfied that the consultation was properly carried out and proceeded to consider the visit report, together with a copy of the plan of the proposed changes. It was noted that the applicants had addressed the visitors concerns and agreed to ask them to amend their report in the light of the modifications to option 2, with a view to the amended proposal being granted approval in principle at this stage. The Committee would appreciate a report on the history of the pews if possible. ACTION: Alastair Donaldson/Secretary. As you will note this letter will be sent to the Presbytery Property Convener to keep the Presbytery informed of this proposal and the outcome. Yours sincerely Brian Waller General Trustees 4
Annex A (Part 2) to Drabble letter 11 Apr 16. Church of Scotland CARTA report 17 Nov 15, amended 17 Mar 16. Old Dunscore church dates from 1649, and was particularly active in the Covenanter movement. The present church dates from 1824, and has recently been awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to carry out fabric repairs and develop alterations to include a heritage centre. These proposals will include a permanent display of the life of Jane Haining, a Scottish missionary who died in Auschwitz, and displays of local interest, which will be developed by a specialist display team. Kirkpatrick and I were asked to visit and comment on the outline proposals prepared by ARP Lorimer (Rebecca Cadie). There is to be a public meeting early in December 2015 at which the proposals will be put to the local community for their comments and suggestions. There are two options to remodel the church's ground floor: no proposals are presently intended for the balcony area. Both options show a remodelling of the entrance area to form accessible toilets, and an extended general purpose / meeting room containing the Haining exhibit for community and church use (including, Session, crèche and Sunday School). Glazed front doors and a glazed partition between the entrance hall and the main church area will open up visual access, and the existing box pews to either side of the sanctuary will be retained and contain permanent exhibitions of local and village interest. The existing kitchen will be replaced by a smaller galley kitchen to the rear of the church area. Option 1 retains existing formal timber pews, whereas Option 2 replaces the pews with suitable movable seating to offer more flexible arrangements. In both cases it is proposed that the chancel is reduced in area and lowered to improve access and improve sight lines. At present the chancel is about six steps high with a handrail to both sides, which obstructs the view of the Communion Table from a large number of seats. The lowered chancel obviates the necessity for a handrail. The pulpit will remain at the same lofty height to allow reasonable sight lines from the seldom used and shallow pitched balcony. In general we would recommend approval of this worthy proposal, and suggest that the scheme be resubmitted when it is nearer final detailing for further approval. We did however recommend that further thought be given to storage, especially in view of the anticipated extra community use. Alasdair Donaldson NOTE. Following the CARTA Meeting of 25 th February 2016, I confirm receipt of the amended drawings from Dunscore Church's Architect, showing amended Option 2 which now incorporates all our recommendations discussed on our visit on 17 th November 2015. These amendments now include extra storage and retention of some of the pews, the latter issue being of considerable local importance. This was one of the schemes presented at the public meeting subsequent to our visit, and the one adopted by the Board thereafter. I would therefore reiterate the above recommendation of general approval for this amended scheme, per attached drawings, and suggest that the scheme be resubmitted on or near final detail stage for further final approval. Alasdair Donaldson 5
Annex B to letter to Community Council dated 11 Apr 16. DUNSCORE CHURCH REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS COSTS AND FUNDING COSTS Repairs 98,500 Interior repair and alterations 40,000 Creation of Heritage Centre 17,500 TOTAL 156,000 FUNDED BY Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland 101,500 (equal shares) Trusts and funds 25,500 Dunscore Church contribution 5,000 VAT reclaim 24,000 TOTAL 156,500 Money allocated for internal work and the Heritage centre may not be used for external repairs or vice versa. 6