The Memorial Chapel is a the western most end of the church building. As you enter the Memorial chapel, you are stepping out of the current building, which was completed in 1894, and into the base of the tower of the previous church which was built in 1775. (The steeple was added to the top of the tower in 1789).

The entrance to the church was originally through a doorway in the wall that faces you as you enter the chapel. After new doorways in the north and south walls of the new church were created, this space fell into disuse. It was subsequently remodelled to the design of Macgregor Chalmers, as a memorial to those who died in the First World War. The space was consecrated as a chapel in 1921. The dedication of the chapel reads:

To the Glory of God and in memory of the men of St Cuthbert’s who fell in the War 1914 – 1918 this Chapel is dedicated. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

It is thought that this is on, or very near, the original site on which St Cuthbert, a 7th century monk, built his original hut on a journey from Melrose. This marked the beginning of Christian worship on this site.

The curved apse walls around the communion table are inlaid with beautiful gilt mosaic. If you are fortunate enough to be in the chapel when the candles are lit, you will see the mosaic almost come to life, as the reflected candlelight seems to dance around the walls. The other walls of the chapel are covered with Swedish green marble slab panels.

A small encased sloping support on the east wall bears the Roll of Honour.

On the wall panels are inscribed names of the 157 St Cuthbert’s people who died during the first world war. Only one of those named is a woman. Helena Bennet was a nurse, who died on duty at a camp of German prisoners in Oswestry during an epidemic of influenza. All the fallen are simply named, no ranks or other details are given. All made the same sacrifice, so all are remembered equally here.

The window in the north wall, behind the communion table, depicts Christ’s crucifixion, which we remember on Good Friday each year. Gathered around his cross are shown his mother Mary, dressed in blue, and some of the other women who followed Jesus. Also the disciple John, recorded by the bible writers as the only one of Jesus’ disciples with the courage to be present at Jesus’ crucifixion.

You may notice that the cross in this window does not rise as high out of the ground as in many depictions. This may be so that Christ can be seen to be suffering alongside his people, rather than at a distance from them.

The window in the south wall, opposite the communion table, shows scenes from the life of St Cuthbert. The left panel of the window, shows the child Cuthbert watching sheep in the Lammermuir Hills of southern Scotland. The central panel of the window shows St Cuthbert as Bishop of Lindisfarne. He is standing with his crosier in his left hand, and is holding the head of St Oswald, King of Northumbria in the crook of his right arm. This is because Oswald’s head was buried in Cuthbert’s coffin. The right of the window shows Cuthbert the monk, landing at the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

Agatha Christie married her second husband, the archaeologist Max Mallowan, in here on 11 September 1930.

The chapel also features small, beautifully decorated ornate tiles in a variety of designs, inlaid into the marble below each list of names, and a beautiful plasterwork ceiling.

This is a peaceful place in which to sit and linger, and if you are fortunate to be able to visit, we encourage you sit for a while here, and enjoy the peace of this special place, and reflect on the names around the walls, which are a reminder of those who died protecting their country in the past.

Sadly, as we are all too well aware, war still rages in many places in the world, so we would also ask all visitors (actual or virtual !) to take also a moment to remember those who continue to fight in the defence of others around the world. Particularly those who have been injured, and the families who have lost loved ones, on both sides of the conflicts, and also the innocents – civilians and children – who suffer in these conflicts through no fault of their own.

Although St Cuthbert’s was the mother church of no fewer than eight parish churches established during 1756-1869, we were the last parish church in the city to have a pipe organ. Built in 1899 by Robert Hope-Jones of Birkenhead, the organ was a gift of the Gorgie MP, Robert Cox. St Cuthbert’s first Organist was John W. Cowie and the original instrument was installed in two chambers on either side

When the internal fabric of the church was redecorated in 1928, the organ was restored and improved. Most of the 1899 pipe-work was re-incorporated to provide a summary of 29 speaking stops, 2 tremulants and 19 couplers, with a new electro-pneumatic action and the original four manual console (keyboards) as before.

During 1956-57, the organ was completely reworked, with a number of tonal additions, and rebuilt by J.W. Walker & Sons. The Great, Swell, Solo and Pedal were moved to the North Transept Gallery and provided with new case work designed by Messrs Ian G. Lindsay & Partners, Architects of Edinburgh.

The Choir organ was re-sited in the upper north Choir chamber in the original case work. The all-electric draw-stop console was placed opposite here, in the former Solo chamber and the original case work removed. The organ had 65 speaking stops and 18 couplers. It was re-dedicated by the Very Rev Charles L Warr on Palm Sunday 1957 and a recital was given by W.O. Minay, Organist and Choirmaster from 1946 to 1975.

After forty years of musical service the organ was again in need of attention, and Walker & Sons were called in for major reconstruction and improvement in 1997-98. Thanks to the legacies of two elders in St Cuthbert’s, Janet Lusk and John Shepherd, the restoration was carried out to the specification of Colin Tipple – a previous organist – in consultation with David Sanger.

The opportunity was taken to replace the old choir organ with an entirely new organ which includes Great, Swell and Pedal divisions playable from a completely revised, detached all-electric four manual console. These divisions can be combined with the main organ in the North Transept Gallery. The new section not only provides accompaniment for the church choir but can be used as a separate instrument for services held in the chancel.

Both organ cases were retained without alteration. The chancel case – designed by Hippolyte J. Blanc, the architect of the church – only needed cleaning whilst the North Gallery case was restored and polished. Between them they contain 114 display (visible) pipes. The reconstructed organ has 67 speaking stops, 3 tremulants, 20 couplers and 3 piston couplers, making a total of 93 registers.

The outstanding success of the latest phase in the organ’s development has given the parish an instrument of versatility and flair, capable of producing an astonishing variety of tonal colour. It is not too much to say that it now ranks among the finest romantic organs in Scotland.