Church Overview
A beloved Glasgow landmark Gothic church, built in 1863 to the designs of architect John Honeyman with its ornate stonework carved by the noted sculptor John Mossman. Its magnificent spire, towering 218ft over Great Western Road, is believed to be one of the slimmest in Europe.
The interior was noted for the surviving use of box pews and its remarkable stained glass by the artists Alfred Webster and his son Gordon Webster, and the war memorial triptych frieze by the sculptor Evelyn Beale. It also housed a fine pipe organ by the firm of Norman & Beard, installed in 1911 and said to have the finest tuba rank in Glasgow with some wonderful flutes.
It was built for a congregation of the United Presbyterian Church, who became the United Free Church in 1900 and who then merged, in 1929, with the Church of Scotland. Despite its halls and rooms being extensively used by local community groups and clubs, following a union with a neighbouring congregation at Kelvin Stevenson Memorial Church in 2014, the decision was taken due to rising maintenance costs to close and sell the church.
The church was bought by the Four Acres Charitable Trust and it was converted into in a theatre, bar and restaurant named “Websters” in honour of the artist Alf Webster, whose life was tragically cut short when he died of wounds received in action in 1915. Following the closure of the venue in the summer of 2025, the building was then taken over by The Stand Comedy Club, who have signed a 25 year lease to utilise the history church as a bar and comedy venue.
CHURCH CLOSED AS A PLACE OF WORSHIP IN 2014, NOW A COMEDY CLUB
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Lansdowne Parish Church, Glasgow
Disclaimer
The information about churches in Scotland’s Churches Scheme has been provided by the congregations or taken from the Historic Scotland list and published sources, in particular, the Buildings of Scotland volumes and the RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guides. To contact this specific church please complete the Contact this Church form above. The information is not authoritative; please contact Scotland’s Churches Trust to let us know of any errors or omissions.