The early nineteenth-century kirk occupies Lesmahagow’s ancient ecclesiastical centre, retaining a tower, later alterations and the graveyard around the priory site.
Quick facts
- Date
- Tower 1803; church 1810; alterations 1894 and 1937
- Architect / designer
- Original designer not identified
- Type
- Former parish church on the medieval priory site
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB7675)
- OS grid reference
- NS 81408 39873
Architecture and continuing use
The designation records an 1803 tower incorporated into the 1810 church, with later additions from 1894 and 1937. A model of the previous kirk survives as an interpretive link to the building that preceded it.
Its story
David I granted the church and lands to Tironensian monks in the twelfth century. The present tower and church replaced earlier fabric in 1803–10. Worship later united with Coalburn; services moved elsewhere, and the Church of Scotland marketed the closed building in 2024–25.
Why it is included
Category B listing protects the architectural centre of a much older sacred landscape and a building through which priory memory, parish worship and recent closure can be read together.
What to notice
- The earlier tower incorporated into the church body.
- Later additions around the graveyard-facing elevations.
- Memorials that preserve the site’s long parish role.
Reading the surroundings
The church building is closed and should not be entered without permission. Respect graves and any sale or maintenance barriers; check local arrangements for lawful graveyard access.
Timeline
- 1144 David I granted the Lesmahagow church and lands to Tironensian monks.
- 1803 A new tower was completed on the ancient church site.
- 1810 The present parish church incorporated the recent tower.
- 2024 The closed building was marketed after worship moved elsewhere.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The sale outcome and current ownership were not independently confirmed. The listed building and surrounding graveyard may have different access arrangements.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Lesmahagow Old Parish Church and Graveyard, LB7675 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and significance.
- Trove designation: LB7675 — Parallel national designation identity and archival context.
- Scotland’s Churches Trust: Lesmahagow Old Parish Church — Church-building history and current evidence that the building closed and was marketed for sale in 2024–25.
- Lesmahagow Local Place Plan — Current community-led evidence for village services, heritage, routes, priorities and development pressures.
Location
OS grid reference NS 81408 39873 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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