Description

Late 18th century with additions, David Neave, 1820. 2-storey, 4-bay, piend-roofed, solid clay-wall farmhouse incorporated into large steading with classically-detailed dovecot. Harled clay with stone margins; squared rubble, some droved dressings. Chamfered arrises.

FARMHOUSE:

SE (ENTRANCE AND STEADING COURTYARD) ELEVATION: part-glazed boarded timber door to right at ground and window to left, 4 windows close to eaves at 1st floor. Cartshed and granary adjoining to left, barn with hayloft range and single storey bothy to right.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: 2 windows to ground in centre and left bays, and further window to 1st floor left (all openings small).

4- and 12-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows, except 1st floor NW with plate glass casement window. Grey slates. Coped brick stacks with thackstanes and some cans.

STEADING: slated, coursed and squared rubble with droved ashlar and squared rubble dressings.

W COURTYARD:

W (DOVECOT, CARTSHED AND GRANARY) RANGE: classical piended S elevation with full-height corniced pilasters and dormer pediment with arched recess containing consoled and corniced door, and 3-tier dovecot with bowed alighting ledges and round-headed flight holes. E elevation with 5 square-headed cart arches below granary openings close to eaves, stone forestair and boarded timber loft door to left.

E RANGE: 2 broad piended bays; that to left with door to right and vertically-astragalled 3-light (leaded?) window below boarded timber hayloft opening with timber canopy and door to left. Single storey bay to right with window and further opening obscured by vegetation. Blank S elevation.

IMPLEMENTS SHED: to S of above courtyard. Slated brick range with semicircular windows to W and open E elevation with cast-iron columns, decorative centre dormered bay.

FURTHER RANGES: variety of rubble cattle courts and various ranges (some altered) to W and S, including horsemill (not seen 2000).

Statement of Interest

The farmhouse is an unusual and impressive example of this construction type, normally restricted to single storey structures. Melville records a Latin inscription worded "A mud building is a defence" over the main door. The lands of 'Westhorn' belonged to the 12th century Cupar Abbey with the following insertion in the 15th century Rental Book "Westhorn - At Pentecost 1465 the half part of Westhorn of Kerso is let for 5 years to Robt Kors, for annual payment in money, cocks, hens and services, as before". The last Abbot ( prior to the Reformation) of Cupar, Donald Campbell, pre-empted forthcoming events when he disposed by Feu Charter dated 8 January, 1558 "The Toun and Lands of Westhorn ... and teinds thereof to Henry Brown and Marion Scott, his wife, in liferent, and James Brown their son, in fee". By 1776 the proprietors were the 'Fraternity of Masters and Seamen in Dundee'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17840045

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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