Description

Earlier 19th century possibly incorporating earlier fabric (see Notes). 2-storey 4-bay with arched cart-bay and later single storey simple Gothic projection former United Presbyterian Church with later alterations now converted to shop, flats and part of adjacent Burnside Hotel. Coursed sandstone to principal elevation.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: penultimate bay to right with ground floor arched cart-bay opening now glazed with timber 2-leaf boarded door, half-boarded to top, bay to far right, entrance door. Bay to far left, ground floor obscured by single storey wing with simple pointed arch window openings terminating in canted bay to S (wing now part of adjacent Burnside Hotel, attached by modern addition to W). Irregular window openings.

E ELEVATION: rubble-built gable with weathered 179? datestone near apex.

N ELEVATION: altered, dominated by later large mirrored pair of steps set at right angles providing access to upper flats 1 and 1A.

W ELEVATION: harled, entrance door to right, single storey lean-to addition to outer right.

Predominantly 8-pane timber sash and case windows with horns to S elevation, variety of glazing to other elevations, modern roof lights. Grey slates. Large central ridge stack, smaller gable stacks.

INTERIOR: ground floor picture framing shop, rubble walls, some iron tethering rings.

BOUNDARY WALLS: low coursed sandstone coped wall to SW with square pier at either end continuing to N. To SE, low coursed sandstone coped wall with square corniced pier, rising to high rubble wall with flat coping at E.

Statement of Interest

A good townscape feature within Cupar, this building has an interesting and complex history.

The Ordnance Survey Town Plan for Cupar surveyed in 1854 shows the present building as the 'United Presbyterian Church Seats for 300' with the gothic style wing to the S in place. By 1866 a new larger UP church had been built in the nearby Bonnygate (see separate list description) with seats for 650 and the old UP church became redundant. The Buildings of Scotland volume notes that the gothic addition was completed c1830 and the building was converted to a coach house c1870, with the cart arch added at this time. It served the adjacent Burnside Hotel (still extant). The Ordnance Survey Town Plan for Cupar of 1893-4 shows the building as being internally divided into two and no longer a place of worship. It later became a garage and was at some point in the 20th century converted to form flats.

The earlier origin of the building is particularly difficult to decipher. It is undoubtedly built on the site of the Antiburgher Meeting House which is shown on John Wood's map of 1820. The Antiburgher Meeting House was completed in 1796 and it is probably this date which is inscribed on the datestone incorporated into the E gable. Historical Notes and Reminiscences of Cupar states, 'A small session-house, added to the church in 1799, was many years afterwards taken down, and replaced by a comfortable little hall, now occupied as a coach-house in connection with the Burnside Hotel'. It is not known if this hall is the gothic style addition or the former UP Church/Antiburgher Meeting House itself. The Buildings of Scotland and Paula Martin both conclude that the former UP Church is the late Georgian hall of the Antiburgher Meeting House but that no trace of the Meeting House itself now remains.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77780702

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

• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)