If you’ve been toying with the idea of buying a spacious, 'iconic', A-listed church building in the New Town for offers of over £500,000 recently, you’ve probably missed your chance.
The deadline for bids on St Stephen’s Church on St Stephen Street was noon on Friday.
William Henry Playfair’s ‘design of vast scale, Baroque power and Graecian severity’ (Gifford et al. 1984: 338) was completed for £18,975 in 1827–8, and housed the congregation of choice for Robert Louis Stevenson’s parents once they decamped from St Mary’s on Bellevue Crescent.
Built on three levels, the building has a socking 1,458 square metres of floorspace and vaulted cellars which would amply house most model railways sets or – as the Church of Scotland airily suggests in its sales spec. – ‘alternative uses including as an assembly hall/meeting room, auction house, dance school or theatre, nursery/playcentre or other leisure or commercial purposes, subject to obtaining all necessary consents’ (Spurtle’s italics).
On the plus side, the building boasts the longest clock pendulum in Europe. On the debit side, especially for any future theatrical purposes, it apparently suffers from attrocious acoustics.
Like St Mary’s, St Stephen’s is a former Burgh Church, meaning that – should it so wish – the City of Edinburgh Council has a right of pre-emption:
‘Once offers have been received, the Council will have the opportunity to purchase the Church at the price and on the same terms and conditions as the Sellers indicate they are willing to accept. The Council will have to accept or decline the offer within one month of being notified of its terms.’
In the current financial climate, it seems unlikely that our enlightened CEC will step in to safeguard the building’s future and/or extend the range of Festival venues in the city. More likely, councillors will rally round some profiteering private bid to turn it into a giant soft-play centre.
Erstwhile local resident John MacDonald writes:
'The Church as a venue, in my opinion, was a real success when it hosted Komedia's Auroro Nova Dance Theatre events for several years. (2001–7). I lived in St Vincent Street at that time and every day and evening a multitude of people attended the events. They gave the area a real buzz. I note from Komedia's web page that the venue won the Guardian venue award in 2004. Sadly I gather that the pressure of sourcing quality acts and high venue rent called a halt to Komedia's run at the Church.'
MacDonald sagely observes also that the building's many interesting architectural features probably render it a money pit, and that this may partly explain the comparatively low offers-over price of £500K.
What do you think of St Stephen's, and how would you like to see it used in future? Tell us by email spurtle@hotmail.co.uk on Facebook Broughon Spurtle or Twitter @theSpurtle
J. Gifford et al. (1984), The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh. London, Penguin Books.
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Reactions
@theSpurtle Nice image of the telephone masts.#canyouspotthem?@thecockburn Of course. That's me, in disguise, holding one of them.
@theSpurtle There was rumour of a Building Trust forming around St Stephen's last year, have you heard anything of it?
Broughton Spurtle @theSpurtle@thecockburn No, but prevailing news-wind is easterly hereabouts. Can any reader help?@theSpurtle on St Stephen's "...councillors will rally round some profiteering private bid to turn it into a giant soft-play centre."#LWW
Cockburn Association 
Matt R