St Pauls Church, Perth

  • Perth & Kinross Council
  • £2,200,000
  • SPA Community Buildings Framework

The bell of a former Perth city centre church rang recently for the first time in more than three decades following historic conservation works by Hadden General Works and Hadden Construction teams.

St Paul’s Church has undergone a stunning transformation into a unique, outdoor performance space.

Perth & Kinross Council stepped into to rescue the building in 2017 after it had fallen into disrepair and previous schemes to bring it back into public use had fallen by the wayside.

Situated in a prime spot on Perth’s Old High Street, the new performance space retains the 1807 building’s octagonal shape.

The steeple of the church has been retained but its roof has been removed, creating a new public space.

The church’s bell mechanism has been replaced and the original bell restored.

It chimed as the completed building was handed back to Perth & Kinross Council by Hadden Group.

Perth & Kinross Council leader Murray Lyle said: “Hearing the bell sound was quite an emotional moment. This building has been out of use for so long it had become forgotten and unloved. Now it has a new future and you can hear from the comments people make as they pass by how excited they to see it brough back to life. It offers something completely new for Perth and will give this part of the High Street a real lift. It looks absolutely stunning when lit up at night and I am sure there will be many memorable performances here in future.This complements the cultural and events spaces in Mill Street and Perth Theatre. Together with our plans for Perth City Hall, we are investing making Perth an even more exciting place to live and work.”

The £2.2 million project has seen the restoration of features such as the crenelated wall head and bartizans – the corner turrets – that had previously been removed because of safety concerns. These now give the building a more castle-like appearance.

St Paul’s Church was built in 1807 and was one of the first churches built in Perth after the reformation.

To transform the church, the roof was removed and work carried out the stabilise the walls and the steeple. While working on the steeple, rotting oak beams were discovered. These had to be removed and replaced with concrete. All stonework and rendered panelling infills required the use of lime mortar in accordance with Historic Environment Scotland guidelines.

The open-air venue will be available for public use and can host events during the day and evening, with the space suitable for everything from concerts and performances to markets. St Paul’s can also be lit up dramatically at night for performances and special occasions.

Perthshire based Hadden Group provided the construction services for the project. Steven Brady, Managing Director commented: “As a local contractor we’re extremely proud to have worked in partnership with council, their design team and our skilled construction team to bring this historic Perth landmark back into use to ensure it remains an integral part of our historic city centre.”

  • Architect: RDA Architects
  • Quantity Surveyor: Turner Townsend
  • Structural Engineer: David Narro Associates