WAY Tears as final hymns rang out
WE REVISIT DEREK PARKER’S RAMBLES THROUGH RENFREWSHIRE
The packed congregation attending evening worship at the lovely little church on the quiet country road between Paisley and Renfrew had tears in their eyes as they sang their favourite hymns.
The midsummer sun’s radiant rays streamed through iridescent stainedglass windows and hallowed cloisters echoed to the haunting words of
Praise My Soul the King of Heaven.
Dewy-eyed worshippers knew then 1,400 years of ecclesiastical history had ended at Inchinnan Parish Church on the banks of the River Black Cart.
Christians had sung paeans of praise at the sylvan sanctuary since St Conval, a Celtic Christian evangelist, built his hermit’s hut of mud and wattle at the site around 597AD.
The original Inchinnan Church was constructed on the river bank in 1100AD and used as a chapel by medieval Knights Templar who fought in the Crusades.
Its 1828 and 1904 replacements were funded by the Campbell family
Mine of information
Derek Parker knew many of Paisley’s secrets — the grimy and the good.
He wandered every corner in search of the clues that would unlock Renfrewshire’s rich history.
These tales were shared with readers in his hugely popular Parker’s Way column.
We’ve opened our vault to handpick our favourites for you.
of nearby Blythswood House who became the Lords Blythswood.
The tree-canopied graveyard, with elaborately-carved Templar sepulchral slabs and tombs of Lord Blythswood, Past Grand Master Mason of Scotland, and Wilhelmina Alexander, inspiration of Robert Burns’ Lass of Ballochmyle song, enshrined a sacred spirit.
The church was visited in 1827 by Sir Walter Scott, whose relative, the Rev Mr Lockhart, was its minister during the early 19th century.
That Little Acre of God was predominantly rural, with the elegant church overlooking the River Cart amidst green fields grazed by cattle, daisy-dappled, and echoing to skylark songs.
Then the captains of commerce and aviation authorities closed Renfrew Airport and transformed Abbotsinch Airfield, near the church, into the new Glasgow Airport.
The centuries-old kirk was shut down because of its proximity to runways.
The last service was held on June
20, 1965, when the setting sun cast vesper’s velvet veil over the church and drew down a crepuscular curtain on 14 centuries of continuous worship.
The kirk was demolished soon afterwards.
Today, its dilapidated walls are ruinous reminders of the soulless capitalist creed which condemned it to destruction, whose values are of the market place.
Their supreme being is Mammon, the God of Wealth, and whose temples are dedicated to financial profit and gain.