Description
A two-storey and dormer-less attic, three-bay farmhouse (1830-40) of simple classical proportions with a central timber door. The principal elevation is of neat, coursed rubble construction with raised margins, narrow quoins, and droved ashlar dressings. There is a single storey piended outshot with one window above to the west gable, and two windows to the east gable. Both gables also have a smaller attic window. The rear elevation has a single-storey lean-to out-shot with timber door, a tall and narrow stair window, and three small square windows at the ground floor indicating the location of the larder and laundry rooms. The large windows are mostly timber sash and case units with a 12-pane glazing pattern, while the smaller windows are fixed, four-pane timber units. The gables have ashlar skews, and the ashlar chimney stacks have moulded cornices. The roof has a covering of grey slate in diminishing courses. The interior (seen 2021) has wide halls and a relatively intact fixed interior decorative scheme, with carved rosette detailing to the door frames and timber fireplaces, a recessed niche in the master bedroom, and a good quality turned staircase rising to attic floor level. The ground floor has intact dairy, larder and laundry rooms with flagstone floors, timber doors and stone shelving. The outshot to the west gable has a two-leaf timber door.
Historical development
Cameron Farm in central Fife has been an agricultural settlement dating from at least the early 17th century. The Second Statistical Account of Scotland (1845) notes that the name of Cameron Parish was most likely taken from the farm which was owned by Andrew Law of St Andrews in 1640. The 1845 account also states the farmhouse and steading at Cameron were erected, and the farmland much improved, within the last fourteen years. This indicates a likely construction date of around 1832.
The 19th century was a period of significant improvement in farming practices across Scotland as subsistence farming gave way to the creation of larger, commercial farming practices. This change, known as the Agricultural Improvement period, saw innovations in land use and drainage, introduction of new crops and crop rotation, improved understanding of animal husbandry and increased length of farm tenancies.
The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1853 shows Cameron farmhouse (LB143), steading (LB2682) and farm cottages (LB2683) occupying the same locations as they do presently. The farm buildings at Cameron are described in the 1853 Ordnance Survey Name Book as 'a large farmhouse two stories high with offices and threshing machine and a farm of about 365 acres of arable land, tenanted by Henry Miller and the property of the East Anstruther Sea Box Society'. The farm has remained in agricultural use since then. The farmhouse has not been tenanted for several years (2022).
Statement of Special Interest
Cameron Farmhouse meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest as part of a substantially complete example of an early 19th century, courtyard-plan farm in central Fife. The buildings retain their agricultural setting and together they are a good surviving Improvement-period farming group representing an important period of agricultural history in Scotland. The farmhouse is a simple, yet large example of the early 19th century classical farmhouse type, without substantial later additions or alterations and an intact interior scheme, making it an increasingly rare survival.
Design
The plan form, materials and construction at Cameron Farm is characteristic of small-to-medium scale, early 19th century farming. The functional relationship of the farmhouse, steading and farm cottages adds to their group interest.
The farmhouse is constructed using traditional materials typical of the southeast of Scotland, including rubble stone (neatly coursed to the principal elevation) with contrasting smooth ashlar window and door margins. The interior layout of the farmhouse retains its early plan and much of its early 19th century decorative scheme. The demarcation between the working and polite areas of the farmhouse remains clear due to the lack of alteration. The largely intact dairy, larder and laundry rooms were important ancillary rooms that add to an understanding of the working of the farmhouse.
In their present form the agricultural and domestic functions of the buildings continue to be illustrated by the listed buildings at the site.
Setting
Cameron Farm is surrounded by agricultural land at the centre of Cameron Parish in central Fife, to the southwest of St Andrews. The farm is accessed by a long unpaved track joining the A915 road to the west. Cameron Reservoir, built for public water supply in the early 20th century, is located 150 metres to the south of farm. Overall, the survival of this wider rural setting contributes to the special interest of the listed buildings, adding to their authenticity as historic farm buildings and contributing to an understanding of their function in the landscape.
The immediate setting of Cameron farmhouse, steading and cottages largely remains the same as that shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1853.
Age and Rarity
Fife is a particularly rich agricultural area of the country, and this is reflected in the quality and quantity of its 18th and 19th century agricultural building stock. There are more than 600 farmhouses dating from this period across the region. Around 100 of these are listed on account of their special architectural or historic interest, and at least 40 have associated steadings that are part of the same listing or are listed separately. There are eleven listed farmhouses in Cameron Parish alone, reflecting its status as a key agricultural area within central and southeast Fife.
While many 18th-19th century classical-style farmhouses survive across Scotland, some have been substantially extended and/or reconfigured internally. Those that retain their character, design integrity and historic setting are likely to be of special interest for listing.
The farmhouse at Cameron is an example of a simple, yet large farmhouse of the late Georgian period without substantial later additions or alterations. The unaltered plan form of the building, with no dormers or extensions and intact interior scheme, makes it an increasingly rare survival in the context of early 19th century farmhouses in Scotland. Other nearby examples of this building type for this period include Cassindonald Farmhouse (LB2642, Category B) and steading (LB2643, Category C) and Harestanes Steading and Farmhouse (LB43659, Category C). While the latter has had later alterations to the farmhouse, it remains of special interest for listing owing to the relationship between the adjoining farmhouse and the steading.
Within the wider context of early 19th century farming in Fife, the buildings at Cameron Farm represent a largely complete and little-altered example of an Improvement period farmstead which retains its early-19th century plan form and setting.
Social historical interest
Cameron Farm has some social historical interest for its long-term ownership by the East Anstruther Seabox Society, a local maritime friendly society that has provided financial aid for sailors and their families using funds raised through subscription and via rent of lands in possession of the Society, since 1618. The society was incorporated by royal charter in 1784.
Listed building record revised in 2022.