Description

17th century. Square-plan tower house, partially engulfed by circa 1890's house to N and wings. Built onto slope; 2-storey with basement and attic. Basement plinth extends along later house. Exposed stonework; irregularly coursed to tower; snecked elsewhere. Ashlar quoins and surrounds to openings.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: central section with flanking advanced gabled wings. Right wing: 2-leaf panelled door to left; semi-circular fanlight. Advanced pilastered porch; arches in each elevation; glazed left and right arches; surmounting balustrade. Stone steps lead up to porch from ground. Mullioned and transomed window to right of porch. 1st floor window centred above ground floor window; attic window in apex. Central section: 2 small basement windows. Tripartite ground floor window; stone mullions and transoms; stained glass depicting 3 Roman goddesses. Ground floor window to left; 4 1st floor windows including tall stained glass window to far left with stone transom. Left wing: 2 ground floor windows; stone transoms. Pedimented tripartite 1st floor window; stone mullions and transoms; curvilinear ashlar base below cill.

E ELEVATION: flat-roofed porch extension to right; bipartite window to right; 2-leaf garage door to centre; single window to left. Ground floor window to left; stone transom; 2 small central windows. 2 1st floor bipartite windows; stone mullions.

S ELEVATION: porch set back to far right; window to right; door to left; curved door opening with flat lintel; plain fanlight. Central tower house with advanced flanking gabled wings. Right wing; central basement window. Bipartite ground and 1st floor windows; stone transom and mullion; single attic window in apex. Central tower house section; basement window to right; 2 small windows to left. 3 ground and 1st floor windows; single window later inserted to right on ground and 1st floors. Left wing mirrors right wing apart from corniced box bay window; slightly advanced at basement and ground level; single basement window; tripartite ground floor window; stone mullions and transoms; no side lights.

W ELEVATION: corniced, canted 2-storey fenestration bay; single ground floor window; mullioned and transomed 1st floor bipartite window; single lights in splay. Single 1st floor windows above; ground floor window to left; stone transom; 1st floor bipartite window to far left; stone mullion.

Various glazing patterns used to decorative effect. Diamond pattern astragals in upper panes in majority of later house windows. Principal elevation; central section; 1st floor upper panes have intersecting outer astragals. Majority of other windows have single lower pane and 6, 8 or 12 upper panes. S elevation, tower house section: ground and 1st floor right windows probably inserted c.1890. 3 left 1st floor windows have been raised, lower portions blocked in, possibly indicating change in floor level. Rooflights to rear. Steep pitched roof; grey slate; decorative clay ridge tiles and finials to gable apexes. Bargeboards; decorative king post and tie-beams to principal elevation gables; over-hanging eaves; exposed rafters. Coped ridge stacks; shouldered, coped wall end stack to E wing

INTERIOR: not seen, 2000.

WALLED GARDEN: rubble walls enclosing large garden to W of house; replacement timber doors; flat wallhead; buttressed to inner E wall.

COACH HOUSE, CARTSHED AND GRANARY

Earlier 19th century. Single storey coachouse to S of courtyard, cartshed with granary above to N. Random sandstone rubble; droved surrounds to openings, and quoins; ashlar eaves course.

COACH HOUSE

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical elevation; central arch; replacement infil timber doors; inset keystone; carved with crest, initials HW and E ?C (Henry Wardlaw and wife Elizabeth) and dated 1605. Pediment above entrance; 3 doocot flightholes in tympanum. Flanking wings set back; round-headed window in each.

W ELEVATION: window (former door). Modern building to left.

N ELEVATION: door to left; modern timber building to right.

E ELEVATION: central door blocked up; window to right.

CARTSHED AND GRANARY

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: open fronted to courtyard; 3 segmental-arched cart openings; stone piers. 3 square granary openings centred above. Stone steps lead up from S to central door in E gable wall. Other elevations, not seen, 2000.

GATEPIERS: corniced stone entrance gatepiers; pyramidal coping stone; replacement gates. Pair stone gatepiers; pyramidal coping stones situated on driveway between entrance piers and house; leading to former road and bridge over Meldrum's Mill Burn.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with Balmule Farm, Former Farmhouse. Balmule is first mentioned on Ainslie's Map as Balmule Place, belonging to Robert Moody and again on an 1828 map as Balmule Place. Versions of the name Balmule are depicted on J Blaeu's maps, The Sherifdome of Fyfe, 1654 (Balmoold) and The West part of Fife, 1654 (Bamuley). Balmule is depicted on the 1st Edition OS Map as a square building, before its late 19th century additions. Balmule is said to have a vaulted cellar with meat hooks (owner's information). Sir Henry Wardlaw of Balmule and Pitreavie was chamberlain to Queen Anne, Consort of James VI in 1603 and became the King's master of works. The datestone above the coach house possibly came from the tower house. Balmule Farm, the home farm of Balmule (situated to the NW of Balmule) has a crowstepped farmhouse (see separate List), possibly contemporary with Balmule tower house.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77775249

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

• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)