Manse, Culross Abbey

Manse, Culross Abbey

This is a three-storey residential building of possibly 1637, substantially altered in 1752 and extended with a west wing in 1824 by William Stirling. The original house is of rectangular plan with an advanced circular stair tower to its centre west elevation. The 1824 wing creates an overall L-shaped plan. The original structure is built in coursed sandstone, while the later wing employs droved ashlar.

The principal west elevation shows the original house to the right, with ground, first and second floor windows arranged vertically. The second floor window lintel breaks the eaves and surmounts a pediment. Carved stone to the left of the second floor window bears the initials 'M' and 'JD' (John Duncan) with dates '1762' and '1637'. The stair tower occupies the left portion, featuring a ground floor door and windows above on the first and second floors. A blocked door on the south side marks the former original entrance, with changes in stonework visible above at first and second floor levels. The west elevation of the wing includes a blind window to its centre with a segmental arch above and a blind narrow round-headed window at the gable apex.

The north elevation presents the wing to the right with three ground floor windows, two of which are blind. The original house to the left has a slightly advanced gable. Coursed masonry at ground floor shows a sloping head with two blocked round-headed doorways. The first floor windows sit close to the eaves. A taller section of masonry to the right consists of vertical rubble with coursed stone terminating in an angle-roll quoin.

The east elevation contains an inserted bipartite window of 1966 at ground floor left, alongside blocked windows on the first and second floors. A door stands to the right, with windows centred above on all three storeys. The first floor window lintel breaks the eaves beneath a shallow catslide dormer roof. A second door and window arrangement appears to the far right. The wall of the scheduled monument remains of the former abbey church nave adjoins the right quoin.

The south elevation shows a second floor window to the right of the original house. A garage of 1966 construction connects the manse with the abbey remains at ground floor. The south elevation of the wing contains two replacement ground floor windows with two first and two second floor windows centred above. The second floor window lintel to the left breaks the eaves with a surmounting pediment.

The building features a timber panelled front door with a timber boarded and glazed door to the east. Windows are predominantly twelve-pane timber sash and case pattern. The pitched slate roof is finished with crowsteps and eaves cornices to all gables. Three joined chamfered stacks rise to each gable apex, topped with polygonal clay cans. The stair tower carries a conical slated roof. Wall-head stacks appear on the north elevation to the right and on the east elevation to the centre right.

Internally, the front door opens into the former stair tower with Minton tiles to the floor. The former manse entrance, now a window, sits directly opposite. A door to the left provides access into the later west wing. A dogleg stair in the west wing features cast-iron balusters and a timber handrail. The original house contains a south-facing room with a fireplace to the south gable wall; a former door to the left of the fireplace led to a scullery and wash-house, now converted to garage. The original manse walls measure between one and one and a half metres in thickness. The first floor study occupies the north room of the original section, with timber floorboards and a panelled window splay.