Tealing Parish Church (Former), Kirkton of Tealing

Plain rectangular-plan aisleless hall-church. Rubble built, ashlar dressings, harled at E gable, grey slate roof. Square-headed margined windows, timber top-hopper frames with small rectangular leaded panes. Coped skews with skew blocks.

Conveyed by Church of Scotland General Trustees to the Tealing Kirk Heritage Centre in 1986. The first church at Tealing was probably established by St Boniface in the late 7th century although the exact site is not known. The Rev John Glas, founder of the Glasite Sect was minister of Tealing 1719-28 and promulgated his secterian teaching here. The present building, although severely plain is of great interest on account of the various sculpted stones incorporated within the fabric, the prime factor for its Category A listing. The tombstone of Ingram of Kethenys is particularly rare, it being (according to Jervise) on of the oldest inscriptions in the Scottish vernacular. The memorial to John Ramsay is also a notable Renaissance style monument. The memorial slab to the Scrymsoure Fothringhams was made by Alexander Macdonald, Field and Co, for the architects Charles Edward and Thomas Saunders Robertson, 1867. There are various hinges and hooks affixed to the external walls adjacent to the windows suggesting that there were once shutters. Central heating was first installed by Alexander Johnston in 1895. (Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)

1986: The Church of Scotland General Trustees make the church over to the Tealing Kirk Heritage Centre Trust for potential use as an interpretation centre. December 1991: External inspection reveals the church to remain unused and deteriorating. October 1994: External inspection reveals the church to be in a serious state of disrepair. November 1998: The Tealing Kirk Heritage Centre Trust is voluntarily dissolved, and the church passes to the Queen and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer. The Crown subsequently disclaims any interest in the building and no other parties move to take title, leaving it effectively ownerless. March 2000: Angus Council boards up the building. November 2003: Local planners report no change. September 2004: Local planners report that the church is without ownership. An architect has recently expressed an interest in converting the church to residential use, and the Council would be prepared to assume and transfer ownership. May 2005: Local planners report that they are unaware of any change.

June 2008: External inspection finds the church remains vacant. There are many slipped or broken slates and the rainwater goods are conjested which could lead to accelerated decay through water penetration. To the south side of the church, the burial enclosure die-walls show signs of movement due to tree growth. Local planners report that the building may have been purchased around 2006.

March 2009: A member of the the public advises that the property was purchased in March 2000 by James Eian Prentice and John Davidson (one of whom has since died) with a consideration for Certain Good and Onerous Causes recorded by the Registers of Scotland. The building has been lying vacant and deteriorating since the council boarded it up the very same month it was sold.

June 2009: External inspection finds the building disused with opendings boarded over. It is generally in good condition.

29 October 2012: External inspection finds no significant change from the previous site visit although the roof and rainwater goods ahve all deteriorated.

9 September 2015: A member of the public notes an increase in slipped roof slates on the building.

21 June 2016: External inspection finds a tarpaulin is now covering the North pitch of the roof and some clearance works appear to have taken place. Otherwise, the building remains in much the same condition as seen previously.

28 February 2022: Listed building consent (20/00448/LBC) and planning permission (20/00449/FULL) conditionally approved for alterations to building to facilitate use as a dwellinghouse.