Fetlar Church

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 18/10/1977 Supplementary Information Updated 30/03/1998 Local Authority Shetland Islands Planning Authority Shetland Islands Parish Fetlar NGR HU 60755 90530 Coordinates 460755, 1190530 — 1790. 1 x 2-bay traditional hall church of rectangular plan. Harled walls with droved sandstone ashlar dressings. Entrance gable to E comprising 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber door with semicircular fanlight centred at ground and 16-pane round-arched fixed-light centred above; stugged ashlar gabled belfry with bell contained in round-arched opening. Matching N and S elevations; round-arched windows with timber traceried coloured glazing in each bay. W gable; window matching side elevations centred at upper level; gabled vestry wing projecting at left, S elevation with vertically-boarded timber door, 4-pane timber fixed-light, and 17th century memorial panel carved with inscription and coat-of-arms. Purple-grey slate roof with ashlar skew copes; harled single-flue apex stack to vestry, coped, with octagonal can. KIRKYARD WALL: harl-pointed rubble wall enclosing graveyard. MONUMENT: Mid 18th century. Aedicule-like classical monument to James Bonar, 1752, and Jean Smith, 1737, on substantial rubble semi-pyramidal structure. Inscribed slab with flanking engaged Corinthianesque columns supporting steep pediment with pinnacles (possibly for ball finials) and carved tympanum depicting coat-of-arms flanked by angels INTERIOR: not seen 1997. — The narrow plan of Fetlar Kirk gives it a tall appearance compared to other Shetland churches of this date. A photograph by Charles Spence from the early 1870s shows the church with 12-pane timber sash and case windows in the side elevations suggesting the present traceried windows are part of a later or late 19th century remodelli

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.