THE BRESSAY KIRK - A SIDEWAYS MINIATURE

 

It was first seen from the ferry when leaving Lerwick – see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2019/01/passing-thoughts-leaving-lerwick-harbour.html The surprise was the typically distinctive pair of southern windows: it was a sideways kirk on Bressay. On discovering this, one only wanted to visit this church to inspect it more closely, but the advice was that it was in a poor state of repair.

The kirk viewed from the passing ferry leaving Lerwick - centre bottom of image.

Telephoto view of the kirk.

The first glimpse of the twin southern windows.

A couple of years later, a small booklet on this Kirk was discovered in a Lerwick charity shop; it was purchased. This tiny publication, edited by the Rev. James A M. Dowswell, and titled A Brief History of Bressay Church, its Ministers and its Bell, (circa 1999 - the end of the book published a schedule of ministers 1909 - 1999), was published to raise funds “to maintain and conserve our inheritance;” in particular, “to restore the bell.” The great irony is that the church is currently for sale. The cost of maintenance has been given as the reason for this dispersal of church properties; it seems that the commitment to history has been dropped; forgotten. Apparently the surrounding graveyard and its association with this place of worship, means very little for today’s church. There seems to be something disrespectful here; something a little rude to those past and present, with this sale of hallowed ground.

View from southeast.

View from southwest.

The text describes the classic sideways kirk as “the auld Kirk in miniature . . . the typical 18th early 19th Presbyterian church” that “dates from 1814.” Surprisingly, the booklet records that this Kirk “accommodated 370 ‘and no free sittings.’ ” What these last few words mean is uncertain; they are not explained; but the number that could be accommodated in such a small building is astonishing: such is the efficiency of this sideways planning.

The booklet notes that over the years, various changes were made to the Kirk: the choir and organ in front of the pulpit were relocated in 1957 and replaced by a table; and stained glass windows were installed either side of the pulpit. Also in 1957, it is recorded that work on the rear eastern gable end showed evidence of an external stair similar to that at Lunna. It was a stair that gave access to the gallery, made redundant in 1895, when internal stairs were fitted. The booklet further notes that electricity was eventually installed and the floor carpeted. With the reduction in congregation numbers over time, the gallery finally became used as a storage area.

The external stair was on the eastern wall.

The external stair at Lunna Kirk - the only access to the gallery seating.

In spite of its current state of disrepair, one would still like to see the interior of this “miniature” Kirk that could hold so many people. These sideways kirks are amazing examples of Presbyterianism – see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2017/04/shetlands-sideways-churches-creativity.html: they do not express any grand display and are truly effective and efficient, both practically and symbolically. One could say that they are 'moral,' being equitable and having no waste, remaining both modest and democratic - committed and rigorous. We could learn much from them. It is a shame that the only thing today’s church can think of doing with them is to sell them off to avoid the challenge of maintenance. The cunning spin is that money will be better spent on God’s work rather than on maintaining old buildings. It is as if history doesn’t matter, and has no relevance. The booklet records the Kirk’s history in better times when the congregation thought it had a future.

View from the north.

One wonders what the dead might think of this change in attitude? What might be the response of those in the nearby graves and those who donated memorials in memory of loved ones? These folk must have thought that the memories would live on forever, and not ever be flogged off to the highest bidder. The community had to work hard to raise funds to purchase Lunna Kirk, a place that one might have thought was already a communal centre that the church could have donated to the local residents to care for: but no – graveyard or not!

Lunna Kirk.

Sadly, the booklet records that this little Kirk on Bressay once used communion cups engraved with the name of a past minister, William Umpray, dated 1628 - 1653. Now these too have gone out of use too. What is wrong with the church today? Little wonder that it seems to be losing its relevance.

Tingwall Kirk - listed on online property auctions.

Does one purchase the graveyard?