St Mungo's Parish Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mungo's Parish Church, Alloa
St Mungo's Parish Church, Bedford Place, Alloa, Clackmannanshire
Location	Alloa
Denomination	Church of Scotland
Website	http://www.stmungosparish.org.uk
History
Dedication	Saint Mungo
Architecture
Architect(s)	James Gillespie Graham
Style	Gothic with louth-spire
Completed	1819
Specifications
Capacity	700 (1561 when built)
Length	124ft (38 m)
Width	73ft (22 m)
Spire height	207ft (63 m)
Administration
Presbytery	Presbytery of Stirling

St Mungo's Parish Church is a church building in Alloa, Scotland. It is named after Saint Mungo, who is the patron saint and founder of Glasgow. The church belongs to the Church of Scotland and serves the local area of Alloa.

A small church, or chapel, was likely built here in the 1300s or 1400s. By the year 1600, Alloa had become its own parish. The original chapel was rebuilt and made bigger in 1680. However, by the early 1800s, this old church was too small and falling apart. Services were sometimes held outside because it was unsafe inside!

So, in 1815, the decision was made to build a brand new church. The Erskine family kindly gave the land at Bedford Place. Work on the new St Mungo's church started in 1817. The church was finished in 1819. It was one of the largest churches in Scotland when it was built. No graveyard was added to the new church, as land was considered too valuable for burials.

The Church Building

The current church was designed by a famous architect named James Gillespie Graham. It is built in a style called neo-perpendicular Gothic. This means it looks like old Gothic churches but with a new twist. The church has a rectangular shape with small square towers at each corner.

A really tall spire, which is a pointy tower, sits on top of the church. It is 207 feet (63 meters) high! This spire is called a "louth-spire" because its design came from a church in Louth, England. The spire has a clock with four faces and a beautiful bell that weighs about 700 kilograms.

Many people helped build the church. John Smith of Alloa was in charge of the construction. Robert Cock and his four sons did the roof work. The Earl of Mar paid for the fancy railings around the church.

The first stone of the new church was laid on February 24, 1817. The church officially opened on June 20, 1819. It could seat 1561 people. About 2500 people came to the opening, which was more than half of Alloa's population at the time! The first baby baptised there was John Francis Erskine. The bell and clock were added a few years later in 1825.

The total cost to build the church was about £7000. Lady Charlotte Erskine gave £1200 towards the cost. She also made sure that 246 seats were available. Sixty of these seats were for people who could not afford to pay. The rest were rented out cheaply. To save money, some of the old church's stones were reused in the new building.

Changes Over Time

Just two years after opening, the church had a problem with dry rot. This is a type of fungus that damages wood. The architect suggested filling the space under the seats with gravel and stone. This was done in 1824 to stop the rot.

More improvements were made in 1895 and 1923, but they didn't change the inside much. In 1931, the church received £1000. The church leaders decided to use this money for a big update to make the inside more modern and comfortable.

In 1934, architect Leslie Grahame Thomson MacDougall drew up plans for the changes. The work began on December 6, 1936, and the church reopened on October 16, 1937.

During this big renovation, the old balconies were removed. This made the inside of the church much brighter. A new entrance porch was built, adding more seating. The roof was also fixed and given a new wooden design. The floor was replaced, and a new heating system was put in. New lights, a pulpit, a font, and a lectern were also added.

Later, in 1967, more changes were made. These included adding a new chancel (the area around the altar), choir room, and a session house (a meeting room for church leaders).

The church has several beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were put in to remember important people.

• The Good Shepherd window (1896) remembers William Duncan Bruce and his wife.
• The Te Deum window (1901) remembers Alexander Bryson, a former minister.
• The Gethsemane window (1910) remembers James Brown's wife.
• The Fisher of Men window (1991) remembers Peter Phillip Brodie, another former minister.

In 1972, St Mungo's Parish Church was officially named a Category B listed building. This means it is an important historical building that needs to be protected.

Ministers of St Mungo's Church

Here are some of the ministers who have served St Mungo's Parish Church over the years:

• 2011–present: Sang Y. Cha
• 1994–2011: Alan F.M. Downie
• 1986–1994: Keith Ferrier Hall
• 1947–1986: Peter Philip Brodie, who was also a leader of the Church of Scotland (Moderator, 1978–1979).
• 1929–1946: James Pitt Watson, also a Moderator (1953–1954).
• 1927–1929: Alexander Macdonald, also a Moderator (1948).
• 1901–1911: Lauchlan Maclean Watt, also a Moderator (1933–1934).
• 1870–1900: Alexander Bryson
• 1753–1760: James Fordyce, whose book Sermons to Young Women is mentioned in Jane Austen's famous novel Pride and Prejudice.
• 1736–1749: James Gordon, also a Moderator (1734).

Gallery

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  St Mungo's Parish Church, Alloa

Images for kids

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  St Mungo's Parish Church, Bedford Place, Alloa, Clackmannanshire