Description

1797. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay rectangular-plan former manse; 19th and early 20th additions forming extensive service wings to rear. Random rubble to E (principal) elevation (formerly harled); rendered to N, W and S. Droved stone cills; painted margins to E; droved rybats; strip quoins. Corniced entrance porch to S; polygonal piended dormers; nepus-gabled stair tower to W (rear) elevation.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical. 3 windows at ground and 1st floors. 2 polygonal piended dormers with slate cheeks to outer bays; 2 central cast-iron rooflights. Recessed, single storey, flat-roofed porch with window to left; single storey, piended extension with window further recessed to left. 3-bay single storey, piended extension with windows and door to right. Lean-to store adjoins to far right.

N ELEVATION: advanced single storey extensions to left and receding to right comprising varied arrangement of service wings. Small window to left of gablehead of main block.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: Irregular fenestration. Central, slightly advanced full-height nepus-gabled stair tower to main block; later lean-to entrance porch to right; advanced single storey piended extension to far right with additional lean-to entrance porch to left return. Range of single storey piended service wings off-centre left. Additional L-plan service wings to far left.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: wide central corniced flat-roofed entrance porch with recessed doorway with multi-paned fanlight to right, window to left, window to right return. Window to right of porch to main block. Advanced single storey extension adjoins porch and main block to left.

12-pane timber sash and case windows to E and S of main block; late 20th century 2-pane metal windows elsewhere. Pitched and piended roofs; concrete roof tiles; straight stone skews; corniced ashlar gablehead stacks; single ashlar stack to nepus gable to W; brick stacks to service wings; circular clay cans.

INTERIOR: small black and white mid to later 19th century floor tiles to porch; stone flags to hall. Plain late 18th century cornices to most rooms; decorative moulded cornices to hall and 19th century addition to SW. Original late 18th century paint scheme found in most rooms (of green-blue, pink, and yellow colours) except for entrance passage; grained dado in two front rooms to ground floor. Stone stair (grey marbling to sides) to rear of main block with cast-iron balusters and mahogany handrail. No fireplaces survive on ground floor; original fireplace surrounds to principal bedrooms at 1st floor. Nearly all doors of original late 18th century date. Elaborate dentilled architrave to main room at ground floor.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS and GARDEN STEPS: coped random rubble boundary wall enclosing former glebe land wedged between railway lines to E and W of house. Square-plan stop-chamfered stone gatepiers with corniced caps to E of house (possibly repositioned from main gateway at SW at advent of Forth Bridge Railway). Stone steps of former terraced garden to SE.

Statement of Interest

Although extended during the 19th and early 20th centuries this former manse is a good example of plain, yet refined, late Georgian architectural design. In particular, the current owners have uncovered original painted decorative schemes which are rarely found or preserved (2003). Built as a manse for the Parish Church of Inverkeithing in 1797 after a number of difficulties in determining glebe rights and establishing a permanent house for the minister within the boundary of the burgh. This house ceased to be the manse in 1889 when it was acquired by the Forth Bridge Railway Company. It seems likely that the house was divided into self-contained flats during most of the 20th century. The current owners have reinstated the house into a single dwelling and are in the process of restoring original features and finishes (2003). The glebe land is currently used as a commerical nursery (2003). Brick-built outbuildings to NE of house were built sometime between World War I and II and replaced an early 20th century glasshouse.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56635551

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)