Meadowbank Parish Church facts for kids
Meadowbank Parish Church is a church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It belongs to the Church of Scotland. Until 2017, it was called Holyrood Abbey Church. The church building is on London Road in Abbeyhill. It's about half a mile north of Holyrood Abbey. This church building first opened in December 1900. Back then, it was known as Abbeyhill United Free Church.
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A Church with a Long History
The story of Meadowbank Parish Church is quite interesting. It involves other churches and important events in Scottish history.
From Abbey to Parish Church
Long ago, in the 12th century, Holyrood Abbey was a very important church. It served as the main church for the area called Canongate. This continued until 1688. That's when a new church, the Kirk of the Canongate, was built.
The Disruption of 1843
In 1843, a big event happened in the Church of Scotland. It was called the Disruption of 1843. Many people left the main church to form new groups. One group left the Kirk of the Canongate. They started their own church called Holyrood Free Church. They built a new building for it. This building was near the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Joining Together
Years later, in 1915, two churches decided to join. These were Holyrood Free Church and Abbeyhill United Free Church. They decided to use the building at 83 London Road. This is the building Meadowbank Parish Church uses today.
Becoming Holyrood Abbey Church
In 1929, the United Free Church of Scotland joined with the Church of Scotland. Because of this, the united congregation became known as Holyrood Abbey Church. This name stayed until 2017.
The Church Building
The building at 83 London Road is special. It was designed by an architect named R M Cameron. It's a late-Victorian building. It is also a "category B listed building". This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected. The church building was updated in 2006 and 2007.
What Happened to the Old Building?
The old Holyrood United Free Church building was next to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. For many years, it was used as a storeroom. But in 2002, it was completely renovated. Now, it's a famous art gallery called The Queen's Gallery. It shows amazing art from the Royal Collection.
Changes and New Beginnings
Churches sometimes go through changes. Meadowbank Parish Church has also seen some big changes in recent years.
A New Name and Union
In 2017, a new change happened. The Church of Scotland had fewer ministers. Also, there were some disagreements in Holyrood Abbey Church and another nearby church. So, the church leaders in Edinburgh decided to combine Holyrood Abbey Church with another church called London Road Church. The London Road Church building closed. The two groups joined together in February 2017. This new combined church is now known as Meadowbank Church.
