Basic Site Details

Name: Dailly Parish Church
Town, district or village: Dailly
City or county: Ayrshire
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: Old Dailly Parish Church (Canmore ID 62587) built in the 17th century and now in ruins was abandoned when a new church was built at Milcavish, afterwards called New Dailly in 1690. This church was taken down in 1758 but had been rebuilt as the present parish church by 1766. (Canmore ID 40863). The proposed demolition and rebuilding of the church in 1881 was not progressed - see separate item.

"In 1902 the Heritors considered employing an architect to improve the church, but contented themselves with various repairs. Finally, however, in 1913 they resolved on a complete scheme of restoration, and engaged an eminent Glasgow architect, Mr. Macgregor Chalmers, to prepare plans.

Mr. Chalmers's plans were accepted by the Heritors in November 1913 and approved by the Presbytery of Ayr in February 1914. The estimated cost was £2,000, but expenses rose after the outbreak of World War I. The total expenditure in the end was £2,701-16-0; most of this was paid by the Heritors, the congregation subscribing £727 and the Baird Trust £200. The restoration was very thorough. It perhaps went a little too far, impairing the 18th century character of the church. New windows in the English style, with small leaded panes, were substituted for the old Scots sash-windows (recently replaced); the original harling of the outer walls, which the Heritors' Records show was white-washed from time to time with "Muirkirk lime," was stripped off (this has also recently been replaced) and the elliptical stone arch over the Bargany loft disappeared. But four long-standing complaints—stuffiness, darkness, dampness, and lack of seating room—were very practically dealt with. The ceiling was taken out, and as the roof timbers were found to be badly worm-eaten the church received a complete new roof covered with Ballachulish slates. The remaining Heritors' private rooms were abolished and their lofts, which had formerly met at the corners, were set well back. There was thus much more air space. The south gable was rebuilt and the Bargany aisle was lengthened by 10 feet and lit by a new tall round-headed window facing east. The two other gables were also rebuilt and the old "fore-stairs" eliminated. Gas lighting was installed. The church got a complete new floor, with asphalt underneath. The old pews, described as "too high, too narrow, and too straight in the back," were replaced by new ones of pitch-pine "of the most modern and comfortable pattern." A vestry was added adjoining the west gable.

Finally, Mr. Chalmers designed a new pulpit and Communion Table, as well as an iron gate to be erected in front of the tower door. The pulpit was set beside a window to give it a better light. The work was finished in the spring of 1915, when the inside walls (which a hundred years before had been pale blue) were painted 'a light ivory'. In 1920 they were repainted a light grey."
[The Story of Our Church - Sir James Fergusson of Kilkerran, Bart.1966]

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Church  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 1Main Street  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 21766  Original church
Item 2 of 219131915RestorationRestoration including pulpit and communion table

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 1Peter Macgregor Chalmers  19131915Restoration including pulpit and communion table

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1Heritors of Dailly Parish Church 

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):
 Building NameNotes
Item 1 of 2Dailly New Parish ChurchProposals to rebuild Dailly Parish Church, built in 1776, were announced in 1881, the Building News recording

"The heritors of Dailly, Ayrshire, have resolved to erect a new parish-church, the present one being old and inadequate. Messrs. Wardrop and Reid, Edinburgh, are to be the architects." [Building News 16 September 1881 page 376]

By 1882 Wardrop and Reid had seemingly provided designs for the new church but the project had begun to occasion considerable disagreement among the heritors. The minister, Mr Turnbull, objected that the congregation would be without any church during the whole rebuilding, and Sir James Fergusson, then absent in India, threatened to interdict the other heritors from demolishing the old church. As a result, the proposed rebuilding scheme was aborted and over thirty years were to elapse before the old church was restored.

See separate item for Dailly Parish Church
Item 2 of 2Dailly Parish Churchyard, Mausoleum of the Fergussons of Kilkerran 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Close, Rob and Riches, Anne2012The Buildings of Scotland: Ayrshire & Arran New Haven and London: Yale University Pressp268

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 1Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of ScotlandCanmore ID 40863