Skip to content

Community campaign to buy 19th Century church hits funding target

News imageBBC Wamphray Church is sitting on a hill in a countryside setting with headstones around it. There are gloomy skies above and some trees, without leaves, beside it.BBC
The community will buy the church to use as an events venue

Campaigners bidding to keep a 19th Century church in the south of Scotland from falling into private hands have hit their funding target.

The Friends of Wamphray Church (FWC) plan to buy the building near Beattock for the community after raising £45,000.

Donations have come in from across the UK, the United States and Canada to back the campaign launched in January.

Once the purchase from the Church of Scotland is finalised it is hoped the site can be used as a venue for weddings, concerts and other events - however FWC said more money would need to be raised to progress with their plans.

News imageBryan Armstrong A group of four older people and three children stands in front of Wamphray Church on a sunny dayBryan Armstrong
Donations have come in to support the purchase from across the UK and beyond

Wamphray Church was built in 1834 on the site of an earlier medieval church and the building holds an 8th Century carved stone cross shaft as a lintel above its front door.

It is the resting place of Wamphray man Dr John Rogerson, who was physician to the Emperor of Russia.

It is one of dozens of properties being sold off across southern Scotland due to dwindling congregations.

There were concerns the church could be bought by a private owner but FWC have now raised the money needed to meet an agreed sale price with the Church of Scotland.

News imageA 19th Century church and cemetery in a countryside setting. There are headstones in the foreground and a dry stone wall at the side.
The church lies within a pre-Christian site in the Annandale Valley

Carol Beattie, who chairs the FWC, said: "We are really excited to be able to share the fantastic news that we are progressing with the process of buying the church and therefore securing it for the public, and the community, for generations to come.

"We are incredibly grateful to our many generous donors who have made this possible.

"The response to the campaign has proved how deeply people care about this little church and its peaceful surrounding landscape and heritage which always touch people's hearts."

However, she said the group would need more backing to ensure it could keep making progress with its plans.

"To move forward with the next chapter for Wamphray Church we will need continued support to help us fund essential, ongoing maintenance and initial developments including the installation of toilets," she said.

"We're keen to welcome new members who'd be interested in getting involved with the project."

The Wamphray church purchase will follow in the footsteps of other south of Scotland communities.

Residents near both Ruberslaw Parish Church at Bedrule - between Hawick and Jedburgh - and Applegarth Church near Lockerbie successfully raised the funds they needed to buy their local places of worship last year.