HELENSBURGH Heritage Trust members paid a special visit to St Michael and All Angels Church on the evening of Friday May 28 2010.
The visit, by kind permission of the Rev David Cook and organised by Trust directors Nigel Allan and John Johnston, was free of charge, but those who took part made a donation to the church's Restoration and Conservation Fund.
Visitors saw round Helensburgh’s only Grade A listed Church after its 10 year programme of Restoration and Conservation costing some £750,000 financed by the congregation, Historic Scotland, the Heritage Lottery Fund and a number of private charitable Trusts.
Sir Robert Rowan Anderson, a pupil of George Gilbert Scott, designed the church and maintained an interest in the subsequent decorative additions. Amongst the important contributors to the cost of its erection in 1867 was William Gladstone.
The tiling and the alabaster and mosaic reredos are of particular interest — together with the important collection of beautiful stained glass.
Mrs Joan Sadden showed the rich collection of vestments and Martyn Marshall described the organ and gave a short recital. The organ, restored some ten years ago, was built to the design of the foreman to Cavaille-Coll, builder of organs at Notre Dame and St Sulpice, Paris.
