Pub history
The West Kirk
This former Free Church was built in 1845. The building’s origin was in the great Disruption of the Church of Scotland, when almost half of its clergy and laity left to form the Free Church. Known as the West Kirk, it closed in 1981, but its name lives on in this Wetherspoon pub. Until 1929, the building was the Ayr Free Church (originally Ayr and Wallacetown); from then until its closure in 1981, it was known as Sandgate Church.
58a Sandgate, Ayr, South Ayrshire, KA7 1BX
This former Free Church was built in 1845. The building’s origin was in the great Disruption of the Church of Scotland, when almost half of its clergy and laity left to form the Free Church. Known as the West Kirk, it closed in 1981, but its name lives on in this Wetherspoon pub. Until 1929, the building was the Ayr Free Church (originally Ayr and Wallacetown); from then until its closure in 1981, it was known as Sandgate Church.
Text about The West Kirk.
The text reads: Until 1929, the building that you are now in was the Ayr (originally Ayr and Wallacetown) Free Church, and from then until its closure in 1981, it was known as Sandgate Church. Built in 1845, the building has its origin in the great Disruption of the Church of Scotland, when almost half of its clergy and laity left to form the Free Church.
A sculpture of Robert Burns.
Internal photographs showing the original features of the Ayr and Wallacetown Free Church.
External photograph of the building – main entrance.
