A paper-making family’s support helped create this compact 1890 Gothic church, whose short pinnacled tower still gives Main Street a clear architectural landmark.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1890
- Architect / designer
- A. McGregor Mitchell
- Type
- Rectangular-plan sandstone Gothic church with short corner tower
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB19254)
- OS grid reference
- NS 81867 67666
Architecture and continuing use
Cream sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings supports a red-tiled roof, buttressed nave and gables. At the south-west corner, a squat three-stage tower carries pointed openings, louvred belfry lights, crowstepped parapet pediments and finialled octagonal pinnacles. The south front combines trefoil-headed lower lights with a geometric-traceried gallery window, a small vesica and a Celtic-cross finial. Five pointed nave windows line each side, and the boundary wall and panelled gatepiers form part of the listing.
Its story
A. McGregor Mitchell designed the church in 1890. Historic Environment Scotland records that its construction depended substantially on the generosity of the Craig family of Caldercruix Mills, tying the building directly to the village’s paper industry. It was entered in the statutory list in 1993. The present Caldercruix and Longriggend congregation was registered as a Scottish charity in 2002 and is recorded by the Church of Scotland in 2026 as linked with Airdrie High.
Why it is included
It is the only unused current national designation securely inside Caldercruix and provides a tangible link between Victorian worship, the paper-mill owners and the present village.
What to notice
- Crowstepped mini-gables around the tower parapet.
- The progression from trefoil lower lights to geometric gallery tracery.
- Panelled gatepiers and the low boundary wall as parts of the complete design.
Reading the surroundings
Current denominational and charity records confirm the congregation, not unrestricted opening of the building. Check locally for worship or events, respect any service in progress and adjoining homes, and view the exterior from public approaches when the church is closed.
Timeline
- 1890 A. McGregor Mitchell designed the new church with support from the Craig family.
- 1993 The church, gatepiers and boundary wall entered the statutory list at Category C.
- 2002 The named Caldercruix and Longriggend congregation became a registered Scottish charity.
- 2026 Church of Scotland records place the congregation in a linked charge with Airdrie High.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The current designation record says the interior was not inspected, so this account does not infer unseen fittings. The congregation is active, but a current service schedule and routine visitor access were not established from the checked sources.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Longriggend and Meadowfield Church, LB19254 — Current designation status, statutory identity, official mapped point, date, fabric and significance.
- OSCR: Caldercruix and Longriggend Parish Church of Scotland — Current regulator evidence that the named congregation remains an active registered Scottish charity; this does not by itself establish opening hours.
- Trove: Longriggend and Meadowfield Church — National heritage inventory entry for designation identity, mapped position, related records and available archive material.
- Church of Scotland: 2026 Order of Proceedings — Current denominational evidence that Caldercruix and Longriggend is linked with Airdrie High; the document does not provide a public visiting timetable.
Location
OS grid reference NS 81867 67666 · Location confidence: High for the current HES designation point; public text separately qualifies access and any component or interior 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.
Suggest a marker correction
Suggest a more accurate position
The teal marker is the current published position. The orange marker starts slightly to its right so both remain visible; this is only a visual starting position. Tap the correct place on the map or drag the orange marker. Sending this form creates a private review entry only; it does not move the published marker.
Check this area in Google Maps Choose the Satellite layer there if useful.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.