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Summary

Description

Alexander Tod, 1911. 2-storey, flat-iron plan public house and small tenement. Harled with painted margins. Mutuled dividing cornice and eaves course. Ogee- and round-headed doorways, corniced bow windows to SE and shaped pedimented dormerheads.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: ogee-headed doorpiece in bay to right of centre with carved coat-of-arms in tympanum and 2-leaf timber door, window immediately to right and large bow window in penultimate bay to right, further window beyond. 2 windows to centre and left bays, flanking glazed oculus, further bow window in penultimate bay to left and round-headed door beyond with decoratively-astragalled fanlight. 5 windows (grouped toward centre) with dormerheads breaking eaves to 1st floor, 2 left bays flanking small window. Carved panels to outer bays, that to left worded 'COALTOWN OF WEMYSS PUBLIC HOUSE SOCIETY' and that to right 'EARL DAVID 1911'.

SW ELEVATION: gabled bay to right of centre with bow window to right and further window to left at ground, bipartite window to 1st floor with adjacent door to left; centre bay with forestair to 1st floor door, 2 windows to each floor in flat-roofed link to left, and projecting piended bay to outer left with door to ground and window to 1st floor on return to right.

NE ELEVATION: gabled elevation with bow window to ground and bipartite window at 1st floor. Forestair to outer right leading to door with small adjacent window (modern) to left.

NW ELEVATION: asymmetrical elevation with variety of elements including 4 (grouped 1-3) 1st floor window pedimented as above.

8- and 12-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows; bow windows to SE and SW with fixed multi-pane glazing and leaded coloured glass; bow window to NE with 2-pane glazing over plate glass lower panes. Grey slates. Coped harled stacks with cans; ashlar-coped stepped skews with moulded skewputts, and cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers.

INTERIOR: modern, except retention of fine coloured glass in bow windows (see above), and floor mosaic with swan and worded 'COALTOWN OF WEMYSS' 'EARL DAVID PUBLIC HOUSE SOCIETY LIMITED' (see Notes).

Statement of Special Interest

Conceived as a charitable project by Lady Eva Wemyss, the 'Coaltown of Wemyss Public House Society' operated as a 'Gothenburg' (traditional drinking places which originated in the Temperance Society of Gothenburg, Sweden) with much of the profits being used for the benefit of the local community. However, success seems to have been limited and the building was soon sold to Group Capt Tulloch, RAF who renamed it the 'Earl David' and organised a parachute display for the opening day. Originally boasting a full circle gantry bar, the interior saw many changes from 1930-60, including the insertion of a staircase circa 1950.

References

Bibliography

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