JAMESTOWN PARISH CHURCH, Main Road, Jamestown
ACCESS : No longer in use as a church.
B listed.
https://w3w.co/tribune.drizzly.reporters
This has been a fine church building, but as with so many churches, it has been converted to commercial use. It sits alongside the old Jamestown Primary School in matching stone. The church has succumbed to rough usage. The school, which already looked dreich across excessive tar "playground", appears to have a similar future. Yet both are listed B.
It is worth looking at the Wiki description of Jamestown here:
Jamestown (Scottish Gaelic: Sheumais, pronounced [ˈpalə ˈheːməʃ]; Scots: Jeamstoun) is a village in the Vale of Leven conurbation in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Located on the east bank of the River Leven, it is sandwiched between Balloch to the north and Bonhill to the south. It is losing its identity as a separate village, as some estate agents treat it as part of Balloch.
it is not uncommon to find pieces of our urban environment that have been left behind, losing their original charm and dignity. Other parts of West Dunbartonshire, indeed even the Vale, are receiving regeneration attention. Hopefully Jamestown will do so some day too. Here is the core of that. Fine stone buildings, interrelated in intended purpose. There is no suggestion that Jamestown become a "village" again, but communities thrive where the community can identify with a core or node and that gives them a communal space as well. Some nearby houses would also contribute positively to this. It is through groupings of buildings that they mutually support each other to create the overall character of an area. Change of use can be both a threat and a solution. The B-listing is very important to ensure that its potential is eventually realised.
The listing text notes (with some irony in the retrospect of time): Ecclesiastical building in use as such. The church was built to accommodate the increased congregation of Bonhill parish. It was based on the design of Blantyre parish church, also by Clarke and Bell. The chief heritors were Alexander Smollett, Archibald Orr Ewing and Dennistoun Brown and also Clarke and Bell, 1869-70. Gothic T-plan church with tower and transept. Stugged, squared and snecked red sandstone, ashlar margins and dressings. Base course, angle buttresses; pointed arch windows.
A view across the car park towards a neighbouring house.
Photos taken around 2010.
BRITISH LISTED BUILDINGS with map: https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/200331619-jamestown-parish-church-main-street-jamestown-bonhill
WIKIPEDIA : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestown,_West_Dunbartonshire
