Old Parish Church of Blackford, Blackford

Long rubble-built rectangle approx. 77' x 25', birdcage bellcote W. gable, symmetrical S. front with 3 doorways with segment-headed fanlights and 2 pairs large square-headed windows between. 2 small square windows over centre (minister's) door. Straight skews stepped at half their height, skewputts, porch and octagonal session house added later, apparently before 1779, at centre S. Originally had E. and W. galleries; altered Wm. Stirling 1820-1, narrow N. gallery inserted, N. gallery porch and stair and N. fenestration altered. Round-arched channel- jointed doorpiece inserted in E. wall later. Abandoned 1859.

N.S.A. v. 10p. 300 built in the year 1738 and lately repaired. Hay Post Ref. Chs. p. 78 and 269 gives repair and addition 1835 and his plan dates the session house 1835. There are however no references in heritors' records to work in that year. David Whyte was instructed to form a window in the W. gable in 1779: there is reference to the S. (') porch in that year and to the session house in 1781. In 1820-1 William Stirling carried out extensive alterations and reseated the session house. His fees for design and superintendance were 25. 10/-. James Gillespie (Graham) charged 36. 15/- for advice. (Historic Scotland )

October 2009: External inspection finds the church is a ruinous, roofless shell. The session house (?) has collapsed. There are grasses and bushes growing in places on the walls and wallheads. Inside the walls there are many pieces of fallen masonry. A number of the window frames have badly cracked pieces of stone and are in need of repointing.

December 2011: External inspection finds no significant change from the previous site visit.

27 February 2014: External inspection finds the building remains in much the same condition as seen previously.

18 July 2024: Desk-based assessment suggests the building remains a roofless ruin with vegetation growing within the walls.