Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church

Coats Memorial Church
Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church
Coats Memorial Church Location within Renfrewshire
55°50′41″N 4°25′57″W / 55.8448°N 4.4324°W / 55.8448; -4.4324Coordinates: 55°50′41″N 4°25′57″W / 55.8448°N 4.4324°W / 55.8448; -4.4324
Location	High Street Paisley, Renfrewshire
Country	Scotland
Denomination	Baptist
Website	www.coatspaisley.com
History
Founded	May 1894
Architecture
Functional status	Deconsecrated, now public use
Heritage designation	Category A
Architect(s)	Hippolyte Blanc
Style	Gothic Revival
Clergy
Minister(s)	None
Laity
Director of music	Matt Edwards

Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church, colloquially known as the Baptist Cathedral of Europe, stands at the west end of the High Street in Paisley, Scotland. It has been a dominant feature of the Paisley skyline for over 100 years with its striking crown steeple rising to 60 metres (200 ft) above the ground.^[1] The church is a category A listed building.^[2]

A recent fundraising campaign helped save this stunning church from falling into disrepair. The venue will soon be renovated to accommodate an array of entertainment and private events.

Thomas Coats[]

Thomas Coats (1809-1883) co-founder of the world-famous J.&P Coats company was a philanthropist and devout member of the Baptist Church. He was committed to the wellbeing of his town, involved in the restoration of Paisley Abbey, and funding projects such as the construction of the Coats Observatory and Paisley Fountain Gardens. After his death in 1883 his close family funded the construction of a Baptist church in his memory.^[3]

History[]

A competition was held in 1885 for the design of the church with the selection of six pre-qualified architects. Construction commenced in late 1885 and was completed by May 1894. Hippolyte Jean Blanc was successful in securing his design, the magnificent result of which we see today. Today, the church is threatened with closure as a result of diminishing congregation and the cost of upkeep.^[4]

Architecture[]

The church is built in the Gothic Revival style in red sandstone, cruciform in shape with flying buttresses along the nave and transepts. The central tower rises to an open crown steeple. At the front a set of stairs lead to three doorways, occupied by oak doors. There is seating inside for almost 1,000 people under the vaulted ceiling. Other features include mosaics, stencilled decoration, gargoyles, carved marble and alabaster. Above the chancel is a vaulted ceiling decorated with paintings of angels. On either side of the chancel the organ with some 3,040 pipes can be seen. Built by William Hill & Sons, the organ is one of only a few of its kind in Britain which has not been modified.^[5]

Renovation into a multi-purpose venue[]

Managed by the Coats Memorial Preservation Trust, the building was renovated between 2019-21 to transform the property's ample space and stunning gothic revival features into a multi-faceted, world-class event venue.

Today, Coats Paisley plays host to events of all kinds, from intimate weddings, proms and graduations, corporate events, and is available as a filming location for television and film. Most recently, the former church and its grounds were used for scenes from Season 5 of the historical drama Outlander.

Available to hire by all, Coats Paisley prides itself on providing a flexible approach to event management and packages which allow you to host all aspects of an event under one roof, such as both the reception and ceremony for weddings.^[6]

See also[]

• Baptist Union of Scotland
• List of Category A listed buildings in Renfrewshire

References[]

• "Coats Memorial Church". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.