The Parish of Colvend, Kirkbean and Southwick
The parish boundary and community council areas are not quite the same. The Parish of Colvend, Southwick and Kirkbean incorporates some of the Kirkbean community council area. There are two churches within the parish. A third, Kirkbean Church, closed in November 2010. It is now a private dwelling.
The Rev’d John Murdoch became our minister in June 2023 succeeding Rev’d James Gatherer who left the parish to take up a position in Kirkcudbright. He can be contacted on 07578 588978.
Morning Worship normally takes place in Southwick Church at 10.00am Colvend Church at 11.30am.
The Churches
Colvend Church is the fourth to be built on this site. The first was built in the 12th century. In the early 17th century, this was replaced, and in 1771, the third church replaced this. Finally, in 1911, the present church was erected in place of a church which was too small for its growing congregation.
The website of Stewartry Monumental Inscriptions details the gravestones in the kirkyard of Colvend Church up to 2002. This website also has more information on the parish including accounts from both the first and second statistical accounts.
Southwick Church is on the B793, a few hundred metres from Caulkerbush. It was built in 1891 and was commissioned by Sir Mark and Lady McTaggart Stewart of Southwick House. He was MP for Kirkcudbrightshire. Kinnear and Peddle were the architects employed. Local craftsmen were used in the construction and Galloway granite and soft red sandstone were the materials chosen.
The chime of bells was paid for by Sir Mark’s sister, Miss Mary Stewart. The bells are named Faith, Hope and Charity. In 1897, Miss Stewart donated the font in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, and in 1904, nine stained glass window were installed as a result of a further generous bequest in her will.
The windows are the work of Baron Arild Rozencratz, a noted artist in glass who was related to the Stewart family. Having studied stained glass work for Tiffany & Co, New York, he was able, at Southwick, to use the newly discovered slab glass technique which gives the impressive depth of colour so evident in the church windows which are considered to be museum quality.
There is a war memorial in Caulkerbush. The link lists all those from Southwick who perished in both world wars. In addition, the Parish website contains a Roll of Honour and photographs of many of the soldiers from the parish.
A mile from Caulkerbush, travelling towards Colvend on the A710, is a minor road signposted Southwick Graveyard. The website of Stewartry Monumental Inscriptions again details the gravestones in this kirkyard up to 2022. In the middle of the kirkyard is the ruin of the old church dedicated to “Our Lady of Southwick” built in the 13th Century. It was mentioned in Bagimonds Roll of 1274. Edward I visited it in 1300 and left an oblation. The church was abandoned in the 1740s.
Up the road from Sandyhills to Dalbeattie, there was St Lawrence’s Chapel & Well, adjacent to Fairgirth. None of it now remains having fallen into ruin after the reformation.
