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Summary

Description

2-storey, irregular-plan, classically detailed former manse of various periods. Original T-plan house, circa 1758; S gable end block at NE re-entrant earlier 19th century; NW gable later 19th century. Original building and earlier 19th century additions harled, painted ashlar dressing; NW gable, painted stugged and snecked rubble, ashlar dressings; piended and gabled slate roof. Base course and 1st floor band course to S elevation; pedimented gable to S with keystoned blocked oculus and leaf motif, coped skew, coped block finial; coped gable to NW with bracketted skewputts and ball finial; sash and case windows, 12-pane to N elevation and S gable, plate glass elsewhere, painted ashlar margins; copied ridge and end stacks, brick and masonry; cast-iron rainwater goods.

W ELEVATION: original gable to right, window to ground floor; later 19th century gable advanced to left, bipartite and single window to ground floor, bipartite to 1st, panelled door with fanlight to right return.

S ELEVATION: 6-bay, symmetrical. Gable advanced to centre, 2 doors cut down from windows to ground floor, 2 windows to 1st floor; recessed bays of original house to left and right, 2 windows to ground and 1st floor.

N ELEVATION: original gable to centre, door cut-down from window at ground floor left, window to right, 2 windows to 1st floor, gablehead stack; earlier 19th century bay to left, French window and single window, window to 1st floor; later 19th century bay slightly advanced to right, window to 1st floor.

E ELEVATION: single storey outbuilding advanced to centre, small window to 1st floor.

INTERIOR: encaustic tile floor in vestibule; geometric staircase with decorative cast-iron balusters extending to landing, border-glazed rooflight; some doors with fielded panelling; keystoned, segmental- arched doorpiece with fluted jambs in rear store room, probably re-sited; some panelled shutters; moulded cornices; coomb ceilings to some 1st floor rooms; chimneypieces with arrangements of naval artifacts, perhaps reflecting patronage of Duncans of Camperdown, early 19th century.

COACH HOUSE/STABLE/STEADING: single storey and attic, U-plan, 1822, in ruinous condition. Rubble, droved and margined dressings. Coach house to W, stable with timber trevises to N, byre to E.

BOUNDARY WALLS: coped rubble boundary walls to N, S, E and W.

Statement of Special Interest

According to the NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT, the building was begun in the 1750s ?for a lady connected with the Gray family, who died before it was completed?. It was completed as a manse for James Playfair (minister of Benvie 1743-53) in 1758, following the death of Thomas Donaldson (minister of Liff 1726-58) when Playfair became the first minister of Liff and Benview parish, united in 1753. The building superseded an earlier manse to the south of the church, listed as the Old Manse in the garden of Wild Acres. The 1789-90 map shows a T-plan building with its principal elevation to the south. The NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT (1845) mentions repairs and additions which had taken place during the previous twenty years, undoubtedly the south gable and the north east re-entrant block, both shown on the 1859 OS map; it also specifically mentions the erection of the offices in 1822. The north west block appears ton the 1903 OS map. James Playfair was the father of the architect James Playfair (1755-94) and the grandfather of the architect William Henry Playfair (1790-1867).

References

Bibliography

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