Lesmahagow Old Parish Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lesmahagow Old Parish Church |
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| 55°38′16″N 3°53′08″W / 55.63778°N 3.88556°W | |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Website | LOPC |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Lesmahagow |
| Presbytery | Lanark |
Lesmahagow Old Parish Church is a church in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It belongs to the Church of Scotland. The church building is located in the town of Lesmahagow. This article tells you about its history and what is happening with the church today.
What's Happening with Lesmahagow Church Now?
Lesmahagow Old Parish Church is part of the Church of Scotland. It is located in the town of Lesmahagow. The building you see today was built in 1804. For a long time, it served two church groups at once.
In 1998, this church joined with Coalburn Parish Church. This meant they shared the same minister. In 2017, the two churches officially became one big congregation. They still kept both church buildings in Lesmahagow and Coalburn. They also continued to have worship services in both villages.
On January 13, 2023, the Lesmahagow church building stopped being used. This was because of safety worries about rot in its tall steeple. The Church of Scotland's Lanark Presbytery took over managing the situation. After this, the Lesmahagow church members started going to services only at Coalburn Parish Church.
On February 14, 2023, the electricity was turned off at the Lesmahagow building. This was also due to the safety concerns. During 2023, workers checked the building. In October 2023, they removed some of the outer covering from the stone walls. By the end of October 2023, they confirmed how bad the rot in the steeple was.
On October 1, 2023, evening worship services for the congregation started again in Lesmahagow. These services are now held at the Lesmahagow Guide Hall. This hall is next to the Bowling Club in the Turfholm area of the village.
In February 2025, the church building was put up for sale. It was listed on the Church of Scotland's property website. The asking price was over £50,000. The deadline for offers was July 3, 2025.
A Look Back: History of Lesmahagow Church
A very old settlement of Celtic monks, called Culdees, was here before the 1100s. The church was named after St. Machutus, also known as St. Malo. This name stayed when King David I of Scotland gave the church and its lands to a group of monks. These monks were from the Tironensian Order. They had already built Kelso Abbey in Kelso.
The first church building was burned down in 1335. This happened during an attack by soldiers led by John of Eltham. He was the brother of King Edward I of England. Many people had gone into the church for safety. Sadly, they are thought to have died in the fire.
After the fire, a new church was built. This building lasted until the early 1800s. The church building that stands today was built in 1804. It was first a simple, rectangular church. Later in the 1800s, a rounded section called an apse was added. An organ was also installed in 1889. It was built by Brindley & Foster. The Chapter House, a meeting room, was added in 1934.
In 1981, the church was badly damaged by a fire. After the fire, the apse was repaired. The whole church was also redecorated.
The church has some beautiful stained glass windows. The middle part of the East Window shows "The Descent from the Cross." This is a copy of a famous painting by Rubens. He painted the original for an altar in Antwerp Cathedral in 1614.
The current minister is Rev Morag Garret. Before her, Revd Aileen Robson served from 2003 to about 2011. Other past ministers include Revd Sheila Mitchell (1995-2002) and Revd William Niven (1969-1994).
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