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Closure of churches, Balmaghie and an appeal

 
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 5:50 pm    Post subject: Closure of churches, Balmaghie and an appeal Reply with quote

Just heard that Balmaghie church (Kirkcudbrightshire) has closed with today being its last service and it is to be sold. It contains several memorials as well as one being an integral part of the fabric of the church. I will be forwarding details to the War Memorials Trust and hopefully they will ensure a suitable 'disposal' of the memorials to a new location or with continuity of access.

I have also been involved today with another such issue about access to memorials in a closed church (Buittle).

I know that this is outside of the main business of this project and understand if readers would not wish to be involved.

This however is just 2 churches in this area currently with several previous church closures in Dumfries and Galloway over the last few years needing intervention by the War Memorials Trust to guarantee the future of its memorials. If you don't wish to be active in this way yourselves, please pass to me any info about churches to be closed where there are war memorials at risk and I will pass on to the WMT.

\Paul
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tanyagar



Joined: 01 Sep 2013
Posts: 121
Location: France

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe Cowie church (Stirlingshire) is due to be closed, but I don't have any details....
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2015 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tanyagar wrote:
I believe Cowie church (Stirlingshire) is due to be closed, but I don't have any details....


Thanks, if you hear any more, please let me know. Any memorials inside?

\Paul
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tanyagar



Joined: 01 Sep 2013
Posts: 121
Location: France

PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

vague memories of a wooden board with names???
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Merseman



Joined: 07 Aug 2013
Posts: 339
Location: Duns, Berwickshire

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 4:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I noted in another thread a few months ago that central Church of Scotland guidance was changed earlier this year, and now specifically requires that:

Quote:

6. On no account may War Memorials be disposed of, and they must be incorporated into the agreed new place of worship. Any infringement of this guidance may lead to severe financial penalties due to the intervention of the War Memorial Trust. Guidance as to the suitable place of the relocation of War Memorials may be sought from the Committee.


http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=7929&highlight=scotland


In practice, this is probably not realistic in all cases - sometimes it might be inappropriate to relocate a large number of items into a new building, and it might even be more appropriate to pass them to another site in the locality, rather than moving to a new church in another village. But clear and simple guidance such as has been in place since the turn of the year at least make clear that relocation is a must and disposal is forbidden.

Furthermore any Presbytery oversight committee worth their salt should be requiring themselves to be satisfied by arrangements for dispersing fabrics-&-fittings and especially war memorials, before giving the final approvals to cease worship at churchbuildings prior to sale through the General Trustees etc.

In Berwickshire a few churches have closed in the last decade and a half. In some cases the memorials and rolls weren't moved to the new, united place of worship; but in every case where they weren't they have remained in the original building with continued community access in some form, or this was achieved by donation to another local site (e.g. village hall or cemetery). In my experience the kirk sessions and presbytery committees are usually very diligent.


I should add that the CofS property site is a good place to keep up with any churchbuildings which have been closed, and are being sold. There were far more on it a few years ago - probably the peak of closures under the reorganisation plans - but there are 5 currently, and a new one pops up every few months.

http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/property_and_church_buildings/properties_for_sale?property_type=15794

Sometimes they stay up for years, sometimes they go fairly quickly.
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tanyagar



Joined: 01 Sep 2013
Posts: 121
Location: France

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:18 pm    Post subject: Cowie church Reply with quote

No war memorial in the church. One member thought there might have been a roll of honour, but says that went to Stirling Archives...
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tanyagar



Joined: 01 Sep 2013
Posts: 121
Location: France

PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:42 am    Post subject: Church closing Reply with quote

For your information, Cowie church is being decommissioned - the service is this morning. I am aware this is probably the wrong place for this post but hopefully a moderator can shift it to where it belongs. Sorry, Tanya
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stuartn



Joined: 13 Dec 2016
Posts: 2551

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 7:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Re-Balmaghie. I have updated WMR Records 44354-6 and 71816 to reflect the church closure, and amended their status to 'At Risk'. That can be amended and location updated if it is possible to establish theie new home.
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