St Paul’s set to reopen to the public next month
The revamped St Paul’s Church in Perth will reopen to the public next month, it has been confirmed.
A £2.2 million project has seen the dilapidated building transformed into an open air venue which will be available for public use and can host events such as concerts, art performances and markets during the day and evening too.
Perth and Kinross Council bought the category B-listed St Paul’s Church in January 2017 in an attempt to return the 1807 building back into public use.
The project has seen the restoration of features such as the crenelated wall head and bartizans – the corner turrets – that had previously been removed because of safety concerns.
The Old High Street church was one of the first churches built in Perth after the reformation and closed its doors for the last time over 30 years ago.
As part of the revamp, the roof of the church was removed to create a outdoor public arts and performance space.
While working on the steeple, rotting oak beams were discovered and had to be removed and replaced with concrete.
All stone work and rendered paneling infils required the use of lime mortar in accordance with Historic Environment Scotland guidelines.
The clock tower has only ever had three faces but the removal of the roof means that it now has clocks on all four sides of the steeple.
The bell mechanism has also been restored with the original bell in place.
Once opened, the St Paul’s bell will sound regularly during the day – a sound not heard there for decades.
The open air venue will be available for public use and can host events during the day and evening, such as markets, concerts and many kinds of art performances.
Perth and Kinross Council leader Councillor Murray Lyle said: “This project will return St Paul’s Church to its rightful place as a Perth landmark.
“After the church was closed in 1986, it fell into a state of disrepair and several plans to convert it fell by the wayside.
“The council stepped in and our investment has not only restored the building but transformed an eyesore into a new civic space that all of Perth can be proud of.
“It not only ends decades of neglect, it will also complement the cultural and events spaces in Mill Street, Perth Theatre and, once completed, Perth City Hall.
“Perth is becoming an increasingly vibrant place to live and work and this will play a huge part in our recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.”
Perth is becoming an increasingly vibrant place