Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

ABERDOUR, SHORE ROAD, SEABANK HOUSE INCLUDING BOUNDARY WALLSLB3632

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
A
Date Added
02/05/1973
Supplementary Information Updated
24/03/2004
Local Authority
Fife
Planning Authority
Fife
Parish
Aberdour (Fife)
NGR
NT 19255 85024
Coordinates
319255, 685024

Description

Thomas Hamilton, 1831. 2-storey and basement, 3-bay, rectangular-plan classical villa with imposing Doric portico and overhanging eaves. Squared coursed tooled stone. Ashlar base course, band course and eaves course. Raised and chamfered ashlar window margins, long and short surrounds to openings, raised ashlar vertical margins.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical elevation. Single storey raised portico to central entrance bay; 3 steps to raised platform, paired Doric columns and pilasters supporting corniced entablature, door set back. Flanking near full height windows at ground (left window blind) with sloping hoodmoulds supported by stylised console brackets with drop pendants. 1st floor windows with panelled aprons, arranged above openings below (left window blind).

SE (GARDEN) ELEVATION: symmetrical 3-storey, 4-bay elevation with windows at each bay. Evenly spaced basement windows; (left window blind), iron bars to remaining. Piano Nobile windows with hoodmoulds as NE elevation. 1st floor windows with panelled aprons.

SW ELEVATION: double height bowed window to 3rd bay at basement and ground floor. Basement; door to left, window to centre, window to bowed 3rd bay, iron bars to windows. Ground floor window to left and centre, 3 Piano Nobile windows to bow. 3 evenly spaced windows at 1st floor arranged above ground floor windows, (right window blind).

NW ELEVATION: basement well to left; window to centre, door to right. Modern lean-to to off-centre right, inserted window to far left at ground floor. Single bay, stugged ashlar, flat roofed outshot to far right. Tall, centred rectangular 1st floor stair window, small inserted window to upper left.

Timber panelled door with inserted upper glass panels, 8-pane letterbox fanlight. Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Overhanging eaves with exposed brackets, piended roof, grey slate, central platform with square cluster of 16 polygonal stone cans.

INTERIOR: pilasters and cornicing to vestibule, stone flag floor, narrow arched roof to corridor leading to main hall. Panelled architraves to doorways with carved roundels to upper corners, timber panelled doors. Drawing room; original white marble fireplace, large bow window to SW, detailed cornice, anthemion and honeysuckle motif. Dining room; original black marble fireplace, detailed cornice, rinceau motif. Wide dogleg stair to central hall rising to 1st floor, painted cast-iron decorative balusters with timber handrail. Geometric stair window with coloured glass.

BOUNDARY WALLS: random rubble walls enclosing house and grounds.

Statement of Special Interest

NOTES: Previously listed as Seabank Hotel. The house is attributed to Thomas Hamilton and is in the vein of the bold classical manner he favoured in the 1830s. Hamilton had already visited Aberdour in 1826 when he was asked by the Earl of Morton to design a steeple for the local parish church on the High Street, (now the church hall, 2002, see separate listing), the steeple was never executed. Seabank House was built as the dower house to nearby Fordell Castle for the Henderson family. It is one of the largest and most impressive houses in Aberdour and dominates the shoreline with its prominent position and monumental appearance. The 1841 census records that a Miss Henderson was in residence with 9 servants in attendance, one of whom was a footman. The house became disassociated with the Henderson family in the mid 19th century. During the late 19th and part of the 20th century the house was a hotel offering accommodation to the large number of tourists who came to Aberdour, the stretch of shoreline running immediately to the SE ensured its popularity. The house is now owned privately, (2002).

References

Bibliography

REFERENCES: National Census (1841). 1st edition (Fife) Ordnance Survey map (1856). J Gifford, THE BUILDINGS OF SCOTLAND FIFE (1992) p65. E Simpson, ABERDOUR AND BURNTISLAND IN OLD PICTURE POSTCARDS (1994) p6. Additional information courtesy of the owner, (2002).

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 28/03/2024 10:04