Miners' Welfare Institute And War Memorial, Main Street, Coaltown Of Wemyss, Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages, Fife

Entry Name: Miners' Welfare Institute And War Memorial, Main Street, Coaltown Of Wemyss

Listing Name: Coaltown of Wemyss, Main Street, Miners' Welfare Institute and War Memorial

Listing Date: 17 March 1999

Category: C

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 393148

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB46035

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200393148

Location: Wemyss

County: Fife

Electoral Ward: Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages

Parish: Wemyss

Traditional County: Fife

Tagged with: Architectural structure

Description

A Stewart Tod, 1923. Single storey, L-plan, piend-roofed former Miners' Welfare Institute with traditional Scottish 17th century details and ogee-topped lantern, balustraded polygonal porch and classical ashlar war memorial set against S wall. Harled with painted margins. Eaves course. Architraved doors and porch windows.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: advanced bay to right of centre with attached War Memorial (see below) and window on return to left; slightly lower bay to left with bipartite window, and full-height porch in re-entrant angle to centre with 2-leaf timber door below moulded panel worded 'MINERS WELFARE INSTITUTE 1923', and small keystoned windows to flanks.

NE ELEVATION: advanced pedimented doorpiece in bay to left of centre with lantern at roof ridge above, window to outer left and 3 windows to right; lower slightly recessed bay with 2 windows to outer right.

4- and 12-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows. Red pantiles. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers.

WAR MEMORIAL: deep base course giving way pilastered 2nd stage with flanking shaped margins and roll-of honour- to centre below inscription 'IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS VILLAGE WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918'; corniced open pediment above. Small stone commemorating the fallen of WWII inserted at base of pilasters.

Statement of Interest

Built on the site of the old school, the building is currently (1998) used as a community hall. Easter and Wester Coaltown were separate villages, but with the erection of many miners' cottages by the Wemyss Coal Company in 1860, Coaltown of Wemyss appeared. Described as a 'Model Colliery Village' in the Dunfermline Press of 8 May, 1920, the houses to the S are still largely owned by the Wemyss Estate, but those to the N were sold to the National Coal Board in 1947.

External Links

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.