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Avendale Old Parish Church

The war memorial consists of a standstone and marble tablet set into the former doorway of the clock tower at Avendale Old Parish Church, Kirk Street, Strathaven. At the arched head of the sandstone tablet, which records the roll of honour of congregational members who were ‘killed in action’ and those who ‘died on service’ during the First World War, there is a relief carving depicting a thistle, saltire and crown. Below is relief carved angel. At the base of the memorial there is a marble plaque which records a roll of honour ‘of those who gave their lives’ in the Second World War.

In 2014 War Memorials Trust offered a grant of £788 for conservation and repair works. Due to surface soiling and the deterioration of the paint, the Second World War inscription was becoming hard to read. To address this issue following cleaning, using water and a natural bristle brush, the lead letters were re-painted using an oil based paint. In addition to prevent the ingress of water into the structure of the memorial, which was causing damage to the nature stone, the open and defective construction joints around the tablets and within the decorative carved border where re-pointed with a lime based mortar. While the original proposals for work included work to locally deepen/sharpen eroding incised lettering on the sandstone tablet the decision was taken not to undertake this work due to the risk of damage it could cause due to the poor condition of the stone.

Discussions about the creation of the war memorial by the Kirk Session took place in December 1919 and as a result suggestions were sought. In January 1920 it was decided that the war memorial should take to form of a tablet replacing the existing front door of the church and that a new access should be formed. In April 1920 the form of the memorial was agreed, the cost was estimated to be £285.00. The designs by Architect James MacMillan Fairley of Leadbetter, Fairley and Reid of Young Street, Edinburgh were then formally agreed by the congregational board a week later on the 20th April. It was also agreed that a collection should be taken up in the parish and this raised £270.17.6. The original drawings survive and are available on the Royal Commission on the Ancient and the Historical Monuments of Scotland Canmore archive.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM8259
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 00000

War Memorial Online: 161515

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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