St Mungo’s Roman Catholic Church, Alloa

A brick post-war church combines a traditional basilican plan with Dutch modernism, Art Deco geometry and integrated Scottish art.

Quick facts

Date
1959-61
Architect / designer
William Friskin and William Allan
Type
Dutch-influenced modern basilican church
Designation
Listed building, Category C (LB52460)
OS grid reference
NS 88578 92858

Architecture and continuing use

Plain brick masses, a squat tower and narrow concrete-framed windows enclose a bright aisled interior. A timber baldacchino, Sadie McLellan glass, Scott Sutherland bronze and mosaic Stations form a remarkably complete scheme.

Its story

The parish commissioned a complete post-war ensemble in which architecture, glass, bronze, mosaic and timber furnishings share a coherent modern language. Its survival preserves the close relationship between the building and commissioned art.

Why it is included

A rare Scottish response to continental modern church design, high-quality integrated artwork and continuous worship justify inclusion.

What to notice

  • Geometric brickwork and low tower.
  • Timber baldacchino above the altar.
  • Dalle de verre glass in the Lady Chapel.

Reading the surroundings

The parish publishes Mass and confession times. Enter as a place of worship and distinguish the listed church from the excluded presbytery and rear hall.

Timeline

  1. 31 October 1959 Bishop William Hart laid the foundation stone.
  2. 21 September 1961 Consecration brought the completed church into parish use.
  3. 2026 Regular Mass and confession continue at St Mungo's.

What we know — and what remains uncertain

The adjacent presbytery and rear hall are explicitly excluded from the listing and are not treated as part of this record.

Sources & further reading

Location

reviewed Scotland’s Architecture record small badge = designation

OS grid reference NS 88578 92858 · Location confidence: High: the statutory designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference and the current source confirms the Place relationship or present identity. · 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.

Current published point Your suggested point

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.

The orange marker is temporarily offset so the teal marker remains visible. Drag it or tap the correct position.

Privacy: this feature stores the suggested coordinates, optional note and optional supporting link in a private administrator log. It does not ask for or store your name, email address, IP address or browser identifier. Routine hosting security logs may still record ordinary request information. Please do not include sensitive personal information.

Place: Alloa · Current use: Active Roman Catholic parish church (checked 2026-08-25)

Last reviewed: 2026-08-25 · Record: SHD-REC-ALL-ST-MUNGOS

Continue exploring

Take another unexpected route through Scotland’s buildings and places.