GRANT FOR FIFE CHURCH

A much-loved Fife church is to share in a £429,211 funding payout from the National Churches Trust.

A £20,000 National Churches Trust Repair Grant will help fund a project to fix damp in the sandstone walls of Saline and Blairingone parish church and to replace rotten timbers and linings.

The church, a prominent feature in the West Fife village of Saline, was built in 1810 and designed by William Stark, an eminent architect described as a “genius” by Sir Walter Scott. Stark died aged just 43, so few of his buildings have survived.

Chronic dampness in the church’s walls is the result of a misguided application of cement render many years ago. Interior linings have also become damaged and timbers have rotted. An undetected roof leak led to serious rot in a roof truss. The slates, believed to have been second hand when major work was last done on the roof after World War Two, are badly in need of renewal.

The project will replace the render with a coating that will allow the walls to breathe. It will also remove a redundant chimney that has let water seep through, repair the failed truss, and generally refurbish the roof.

Once the restoration work is complete, there are plans to create a museum display and to produce a booklet and leaflet telling the story of the church’s heritage.

Ann Easton, Session Clerk, said: “Our building is the only place of worship in an extensive rural parish, a valued amenity for the community, and a significant feature of the local heritage. The award of the National Churches Trust grant is a substantial help and encouragement towards realising our vision for sustaining the building and our mission into the future.”