Dunlop parish church
The beauty of the Church and it's surroundings have most definitely contributed to it's longevity within the ranks of the Church of Scotland. Built in 1835, replacing a smaller vestige, the first parishioners walked through the doors a few weeks before Christmas 1835.
The main floor plan faces an East South East / West North West direction, with a smaller gable forming the buildings T-shape facing North North East. This North facing gable is all that remains of the original Kirk pre 1835. Little is known about the place of worship preceding the construction of the one that sits here today. What is certain is that there was a semblance of interest in preserving what was salvageable from the past. A date of 1641 on the gable is testament to the rich history of what was here before.
The Church graveyard is the only burial site in the whole Parish. Suggesting that later Kirks simply replaced previous ones, all sharing their roots from the very first in the Parish many hundreds of years ago.
The north gable was originally built by James Dunlop of Dunlop (15th) His initials "I. D." are still visible today etched in triangular stone insets above the window to the right of the door. On the left the letters "E.C." are visible, this being James' wife Elizabeth Cunninghame.
The present building is not entirely typical of 19th Century Churches. A beautiful tower stands proudly to the East and is unusually high for the overall design. At 60.5 feet the tower houses a single bell, adorned with no less than four pairs of Gothic arched slats. It is topped by an embattled parapet accentuating it's nobility. If you are fortunate enough to acquire access to the tower, the 360 degree view is simply stunning. The western edge of the village of Dunlop, Kilbirnie Hills, Borland Hills the ancient Roman Fortress of Dunlop Hill can be viewed without interruption.
The entire Church houses no less than 21 beautiful stained glass windows, but they were not all here from the beginning. Generosity, a love of the Church, parishioners that possessed the financial means and a heavenly desire to contribute, have embellished the Dunlop Church as we see it today.
One such admirable gift was from Thomas Douglas Cunninghame Graham during 1882. Mr Graham provided a set of large stained glass windows that are to be seen in all their splendour on the South wall of the Kirk. See photo top of page. Mr Graham was indeed a great friend to the Dunlop Church.
Two years after donating the windows, in 1884, Thomas once again provided the Lions share of funding for extensive renovations to the interior. Virtually all of the pews and the choir stance were totally remodelled. The pulpit was restyled to compliment the design of the aisle windows. An octagonal baptismal font was added and sits proudly in front of the pews to this day.
The lower half of the Dunlop Aisle during this time was fitted with new stained glass windows. They depict the armorial bearings of Dunlop of Dunlop (East side), Dunlop Douglas of Dunlop (West side) and Cunninghame Graham of Dunlop (North side).
The brighter, renovated and more colourful Church opened it's doors and it's arms on Sunday 31st August 1884… but on a sad note. The very man who had so lovingly contributed to the stature of the Church 's beauty, Thomas Douglas Cunninghame Graham, died on the Wednesday 27th August, four days before.
Ironically Mr Graham passed on the evening that the work was completed. As if in some divine way he knew that his own personal quest had been fulfilled. Everyone passing through the Church gates these days have a lot to thank Mr Graham for. Lest we forget others like him who have ultimately made the Kirk a better more harmonious place to enjoy, thanks to their generosity.
Did you know that the Dunlop Church has a connection with the Anchor Line steamship Co? Indeed it does. If you look way up at the West wall there you will see two tall windows. They depict Adam on the left and Jesus on the right. The windows were donated by Francis Henderson, one of the brothers who owned the Glasgow based Anchor Line Steamship Co. Francis was a regular visitor to the Church whilst living at Dunlop House.
A second window was installed in 1934 in the north wall of the Vestry Gallery in memory of Francis and his generosity to the Church. Kindly donated by his widow Mrs Henderson and three children. The window pair depict St Nicholas on the left and St Christopher on the right. It is interesting to note that Saint Nicholas is holding a wooden ship. This window also contains two anchors, but you have to look closely for the second one. This, an obvious yet tasteful reference to the Anchor Line Co.
Mrs Henderson travelled over 450 miles from the south of England to Dunlop to unveil the window. Accompanied by her son, then Lieutenant Colonel Sir Vivian Henderson MP., Lady Henderson and her daughter. It was a fitting tribute to yet another of the Dunlop Church 's endearing members. The Henderson windows are beautiful and we are lucky to have them.
The plethora of windows certainly provide a good deal of light on a bright day, but gas lamps were on their way out. Electricity arrived in 1924 with new lights and a further renovation project. This time the congregation paid for the work.
1924 also ushered in a new era in administration for the Church. It was duly handed over to the General Trustees, furthering the strengths of available funding.
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Dunlop Parish Church*
Dunlop & Lugton Community
