Bells chime again after 30 years silent
£2.2m revamp for St Paul’s
The bell of a former Perth city centre church rang for the first time in more than three decades this week.
It chimed at noon on Wednesday as the revamped St Paul’s Church building was being handed back to Perth and Kinross Council by contractors.
The council stepped in to revitalise the building in 2017, after it had fallen into disrepair and previous schemes to bring it back into public use had fallen by the wayside.
But the historic building, constructed in 1807, has now undergone a comprehensive £2.2 million transformation into an outdoor performance space.
The open-air venue will be available for public use and can host events during the day and evening, with the space suitable for concerts, performances and markets.
Perth and Kinross Council leader Murray Lyle said: “Hearing the bell sound was quite an emotional moment.
“This building has been out of use for so long it had become forgotten and unloved.
“Now it has a new future and you can hear from the comments people make as they pass by how excited they are to see it brought back to life.
“It offers something completely new for Perth and will give this part of the High Street a real lift.
“It looks absolutely stunning when lit up at night and I am sure there will be many memorable performances here in future.
“This complements the cultural and events spaces in Mill Street and Perth Theatre.
“Together with our plans for Perth City Hall, we are investing in making Perth an even more exciting place to live and work.”
The steeple of the church has been retained but its roof has been removed, creating the new public space.
Work was also carried out the stabilise the walls and the steeple.
The church’s bell mechanism has been replaced and the original bell restored.
The project has also 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.
While working on the steeple, rotting oak beams were discovered and had to be removed and replaced with concrete.
All stonework and rendered panelling infills required the use of lime mortar in accordance with Historic Environment Scotland guidelines.
Perthshire-based Hadden Group provided the construction services for the project.
Managing director Steven Brady added: “As a local contractor we’re extremely proud to have worked in partnership with the council, their design team and our skilled construction team to bring this historic Perth landmark back into use to ensure it remains an integral part of our historic city centre.”
St Paul’s
Church building