ST COLOUMBA'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH & John Hutchinson Sharp Memorial Hall, 276 Glasgow Road / South Douglas Street, Clydebank, Glasgow, G81 1PG.
ACCESS : The church is derelict. The hall is in use.
There is an ongoing problem with the preservation of church buildings. Church attendance has fallen sharply over the past two generations. Many get converted to other usage - housing, restaurants, public halls etc. This one has a viable hall behind it, it itself a victim of disuse and then misuse and dereliction. It is included here a s signal of what is happening in our environment. Not all can be saved. Location and upkeep, until a solution is found, are facfors that are so often in the way. This one is worth looking at. Let's maintain a positive and optimistic view. Just maybe its fortunes can be turned.
As Canmore says : Although unlisted the former church makes a significant contribution to the streetscape forming a set of red sandstone buildings with an adjacent traditional tenement and B-listed PP Pugin Holy Redeemer Church. [Canmore]. This building visually and spacially links the streetscape through to the tenements and Holy Redeemer Church in scale, material and texture. Unfortunately there is an intermediate building that hinders better cohesion. Streetscapes can increase the environmental value of the building group more than the individual components.
Canmore describes it as a Cruciform former church in rough-faced square snecked red sandstone. Slated roofs with bellcote, side chapel and vestry. North gable with Star of David window. [Canmore]. These features can still be seen in spite of the severe delaptidation.
The following photographs are offered as a record and homage of a once fine building.
CANMORE : https://canmore.org.uk/site/316912/clydebankglasgow-road-st-columbas-episcopal-church-former
DERELICT GLASGOW website : http://www.derelictglasgow.co.uk/derelict.stcolumba.cbank.html
GLASGOW ARCHITECTURE website : http://www.architectureglasgow.co.uk/derelict.stcolumba.cbank.html
