Saving Bedrule church

Honouring local heritage, holding a place for today’s community, cultivating space for the future

The present

Bedrule Church has been a place to mark life’s milestones for hundreds of years, but this purpose was threatened in 2024 with the announcement that the Church of Scotland would be placing the building on the open market.

There has been a site of worship where Bedrule Church is situated since the 13th century. The current building was constructed in 1914 and holds records of births, and information on local important folk such as Archbishop Turnbull, founder of Glasgow University in 1451, local families’ sacrifices in WWI and Lt. Francis Fasson, a hero of WWII. Its burial site maps the lives of local families and it is “ground zero” for the vigorous and thriving diaspora of the Turnbull Clan celebrated in beautiful stained glass.

The Church of Scotland decided to sell Bedrule Church, along with almost 500 other buildings in its care, proposing a profound change in relationship between communities and their places.

The Church of Scotland’s presentation of Christianity may not resonate so widely today, but people are still looking for a spiritual dimension to their lives. The need for communal space is needed more than ever and we will ensure Bedrule Church continues as a community non-denominational religious facility or church.

The potential

Bedrule is a scenic and cultural focal point in Rulewater: the front door view towards Ruberslaw and the Rule Valley places Bedrule church in extraordinary relationship with a beautiful landscape loved by locals and visitors alike. The building is a familiar presence for those who live and work here, and a destination of interest to visitors with ancestral ties or who are drawn to this special part of the world.

This is a space that holds our past, present and future. Building on its rich history, we aim for this to remain a community resource relevant to contemporary needs. By providing more people with access and meaningful connection to this area, and by providing a space for our community to hold ceremony and celebrate life’s milestones, we hope that Bedrule church will remain the cornerstone of Rulewater long into the future.

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”

(Psalm 118:22; Mathew 21:42)

What could Bedrule Church be used for?

  • visitor information centre, offering overview of local history

  • centre for celebrating rural heritage and traditions

  • holding site of ancestral records

  • interpretation resources for adjacent archaeological site

  • space for holding life celebrations - births, marriages and remembrance ceremonies

  • venue for events, such as musical performances, storytelling, plays and exhibitions

  • venue for workshops in rural skills, practical arts, etc.

  • destination for pilgrims and walkers on established and developed walking and cycling routes.

  • champing (camping in a church) accommodation for walkers, cyclists, etc.

  • supporting space for Bedrule village hall.