Natalie Don, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, was delighted to join fellow representatives of the Bishopton community at the presentation of the completed second phase of preservation works at Bishopton Parish Church today.
The conservation works are part of a three-phase programme to return all masonry to an ‘as built’ condition in the church, which was designed in galleried neo-Gothic style by architect David Hamilton and constructed in 1815. The church was built adjacent to the historical small community of Kirkton of Erskine using stone taken from a nearby quarry in an era when Bishopton was only a small hamlet on the road from Glasgow to Port Glasgow.
The works, carried out by one of Scotland’s leading traditional building maintenance and restoration specialists, Limerich Limited, under the guidance of conservation consultant Nic Boyes ACR, were funded by grants of £23,500 from Viridor Credits Environmental Company through the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund (SCLF) and £5,500 from The Ferguson Bequest Fund, as well as generous congregation contributions totalling £10,000.
The recently completed second phase of the project involved digging out old OPC (ordinary Portland Cement) pointing which had been used in historical repairs of coursed rubble and finely cut ashlar stones on buttresses and window dressings on the east gable of the church building. The OPC, now replaced with lime mortar, had caused the masonry to spall.
All the church’s cast iron window frames were also scraped, sealed and re-dressed with mastic high-grade construction adhesive; and a flue, which had originally been inserted in the wall in 1902, was rebuilt.
The Very Reverend Dr Lorna Hood OBE, locum minister for Bishopton Parish Church, said: “It is so unfortunate that Rev Yvonne Smith, due to illness, cannot be with us today as she has been the driving force behind this project on behalf of the congregation.
”As a member of the congregation, I likewise am grateful to all involved and the generous contributions from Viridor Credits Environmental Company and the Ferguson Bequest Fund. As a congregation, we look forward to the next phase, continuing our witness to the ever-growing community of Bishopton.”
Natalie Don, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, said: “I was delighted to support applications as part of the church’s tremendous fundraising efforts for this dedicated conservation project and it is wonderful to see the visually impressive improvements on the building, which is such a beautiful landmark and a stunning part of the Bishopton community’s heritage.”
Gareth Williams, Operations Manager at Viridor Credits Environmental Company, said: “Many of our churches suffer from the use of non-porous cement, which can lead to long-term damage to the fabric of the building. We were pleased to support the church in the latest phase of works, which will secure the future of the building for generations.”
The church is now aiming to raise around £50,000 to pay for the final phase of work on the north and part of the west walls, which will include repairing or rebuilding another old flue. Donations for the church’s fundraising can be sent by post to Bishopton Parish Church, The Cornerstone, Greenock Road, Bishopton, PA7 5JW.