North West Walled Garden, Melville House is a Grade A listed building in the Fife local planning authority area, Scotland. First listed on 1 March 1984.

North West Walled Garden, Melville House

WRENN ID
tired-chancel-river
Grade
A
Local Planning Authority
Fife
Country
Scotland
Date first listed
1 March 1984
Source
Historic Environment Scotland listing

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Description

Monimail Tower, dated 1578 on the parapet (with the lower part possibly being earlier), is a four-storey small tower with a square plan and a basement. It is a fragment of a larger, earlier structure, as indicated by the ragged stonework at the southeast and southwest where it once adjoined another building. This tower is now incorporated into garden walls, with former garden buildings to the south and a slate-roofed lean-to shed against the east wall. The tower is constructed of rubble with ashlar dressings.

The north elevation features three doors, while each elevation has square-headed and mostly roll-moulded windows, some of which are blocked or altered. There are single central Gothic-traceried windows high on the east and west walls, nestled in the parapet above, and a blocked segmental opening to the south over the basement. A moulded cill band runs along the north and west elevations, with an additional string course on the west.

The tower has a continuous corbelled parapet with gun ports, gargoyles, and angle turrets. Octagonal turrets, each adorned with a sculptured head in a circular panel, are located at the southeast and northeast corners, the latter above a newel stair. These turrets are capped by pointed, faceted low spires with lucarnes, which have been lowered in height and covered with lead, along with a 'sunburst' finial. The remaining corners feature circular turrets. There is a single coped wall-head stack and a flat roof.

The interior has been altered; the basement features later vaulting and was likely used as an ice house, probably in the 19th century. The upper chamber contains 18th century pine panelling. Additionally, there are two large rectangular garden enclosures in an L-plan configuration, sharing a common wall and dated 1825. The larger enclosure is located to the south of Monimail Tower, while the smaller is to the west. Both enclosures are rubble-built with ashlar dressings and flat coping, stepped to follow the slopes.

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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Monimail Tower Grade A 36 m
  2. Old Parish Church And Burial Ground, Monimail Grade B 66 m
  3. North Walled Garden, Melville House Grade A 83 m
  4. Monument To West Of Walled Garden, Melville House Grade B 95 m
  5. North Lodge And Gatepiers, Melville House Grade B 137 m
  6. The Old Mill, Monimail Grade B 251 m
  7. Melville House Grade A 315 m
  8. East Pavilion, Melville House Grade A 332 m
  9. West Pavilion, Melville House Grade A 343 m
  10. East Garden Lodge, Melville House Grade A 404 m