Description

17th century, reconstructed Thomas Barclay, 1785-6 and extended early 20th century. 2-storey, 3-bay, T-plan former manse. Harled with quoin strips and raised stone margins.

S ELEVATION: advanced, flat-roofed extension at centre with round-headed stair window to right and window to left to both floors; boarded timber door on return to left with window above and window to each floor in bay to outer left; recessed bay to right of centre with part-glazed timber door to outer right and window to left below low, lean-to ?porch?, centre window at 1st floor with projecting piended timber window (stair window of Mansefield Cottage) in re-entrant angle to right. Mansefield Cottage adjoining at outer right.

N ELEVATION: window at centre to both floors, further window to left at ground; adjoining boundary wall to outer right and left.

E ELEVATION: lower 2-storey wing (now Mansefield Cottage) projecting across centre and left, window to both floors at outer right and small window off-centre left at gablehead. Mansefield Cottage probably

T Barclay 1785-6, extended 1808, piend-roofed.

W ELEVATION: 2 windows at ground with window to left at 1st floor and off-centre right at gablehead.

Flat-roofed extension with decorative stair window of etched glass with leaf-detail coloured margin and further 2 windows also with coloured margins. Plate glass glazing in timber sash and case window to outer left at 1st floor, casement window to right at ground, louvred glazing elsewhere. Graded grey slates. Coped, harled and cement-rendered stacks with some cans and thackstanes; ashlar coped skews and ropework scroll skewputts.

INTERIOR: plain cornicing, timber doors and shutters retained. Timber fireplaces at ground right and 1st floor right with lozenge detail, cast-iron with tile slips at 1st floor left. Stone staircase with cast-iron balusters.

OUTBUILDING AND BOUNDARY WALL: piended and gabled, rectangular-plan, pantiled, rubble outbuilding with stable and apple store. 4 single door openings and window to S, 2-leaf timber door, window and garage door to W and 2 long narrow rooflights to N. Semicircular-coped rubble boundary walls, particularly fine to S of walled garden.

Statement of Interest

Replaced in 1901-2 by manse by Gillespie & Scott, this manse was described in the NSA as "of very ancient construction, by much the oldest in the presbytery. It has undergone repairs and alterations so numerous, as greatly to affect its apparent identity". In 1784 it was one of only 3 slated buildings in Markinch. The 1785-6 reconstruction was supervised by Thomas Barclay (mason) who charged 9 visits superintendence (?254), with further work by John Quarrier, Walter Braid and David Henry (?148).

A photograph date stamped 1904 depicts the S elevation prior to the flat-roofed alteration, with 3-stage stepped stair (originally narrow timber) and only small square-headed windows. A well was recently discovered immediately S of the house and adjoining the terrace wall.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17810797

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)