Abbey Park House, 15 Abbey Park Place, Dunfermline

Abbey Park House, 15 Abbey Park Place, Dunfermline

A large, early 19th-century house with early 20th-century alterations and additions designed by R Blackadder of Edinburgh. The building is 2 storeys and attic with basement, arranged on a rectangular plan across three bays. It exemplifies classical design with distinctive corniced ground floor windows to the north elevation and an early 20th-century bowed central bay to the south and west elevations.

The external walls are constructed of droved sandstone ashlar with lightly droved and polished ashlar dressings. The basement features V-jointed stonework, with a base course running beneath the basement and ground floor, and a cill course at ground floor level. A moulded eaves cornice with frieze below crowns the composition. The roof is grey slate with a piended platform profile, featuring three corniced stacks on the north side and two on the south, all with round cans.

The north (entrance) elevation presents a slightly projecting central entrance bay with a low stepped parapet. An early 20th-century porch to the ground floor features an entablature with Adamesque frieze that projects forward as a canopy, supported on a pair of composite columns. Pair of Composite angle pilasters set back to either side of the entrance frame a 9-panel timber door with narrow flanking side lights (each with Adamesque panel at head) and a fanlight above. Architraved windows with adjoining cill bands flank the porch. Partially obscured Composite columns support the rear of the entablature at the junction with the main block. Flanking windows light each storey except the attic, with a tripartite window above. The basement contains an entrance with a late 20th-century part-glazed timber door to the central bay, with two windows (one small) to the right and an entrance with panelled timber door set back to the left bay.

The south elevation displays a tripartite basket-arched arcade supported on Doric pilasters to the basement of the bowed central bay, with an entrance at the centre featuring a later glazed timber door in a glazed timber screen incorporating a fanlight. Large windows with fanlights occupy the flanking arches (all glazing replaced). The bowed bay contains three windows to the first and second floors, with windows to each floor in the flanking bays; those to the attic are polygonal piended dormers. First-floor windows have early 20th-century cast-iron balconies.

The west elevation contains a basement window at the centre of the central bowed bay, with one to the right. Three windows light the ground and first floors above. Windows to each floor in the flanking bays include polygonal piended dormers to the attic; that to the right of the first floor has an early 20th-century cast-iron balcony. A large later cast-iron balcony with Adamesque detailing and steps down to a lower level adjoins the ground floor window to the left bay.

The east elevation features an entrance (probably formerly a window) to the left of centre with a replacement glazed timber door. Windows to the ground and first floors appear above, with one to the left serving the basement, ground and first floors; those to the first floor have later cast-iron balconies. An inserted stair window to the right separates the ground and first floor levels. A polygonal piended dormer lights the attic to the left of centre.

Windows throughout comprise 12-pane timber sash and case windows to the principal north elevation, with 12-pane timber sash and case windows and later 10-pane timber casements elsewhere.

Interior

The internal arrangement and fittings are of fine quality, largely dating from the early 20th century. The vaulted porch features a circular light at its apex. A glazed tripartite screen with part-glazed central door and fanlight opens onto a vaulted inner vestibule with plaster ribs and foliate bosses. An oval hall displays decorative Adamesque plasterwork to the ceiling and a fireplace with built-in bookcase above. The stairway to the east features later panelling. A part-glazed door with etched glass panels and walnut and oak panelling with fitted bookcases serves the bow-fronted ground floor room. The dining or board room to the east is distinguished by an Adamesque plaster ceiling incorporating a sunflower motif and a pair of marble Adamesque fireplaces with brass inner surrounds; pilasters and low dado panelling articulate the walls. A low cupola with circular light with radiating glazing bars surmounts the head of the staircase. Timber Adamesque fireplaces appear on the upper floors.

Boundary Features

A coped boundary wall of coursed and rubble sandstone (partially harled) of various heights encloses the original plot of land. Later polished sandstone ashlar gateposts of square plan, each with base, frieze, moulded cornice and pyramid coping, feature recessed panels to the street elevation. A wrought-iron arch with lamp at its apex spans the gap between them, and a pair of cast-iron gates closes the opening. A pedestrian entrance with droved sandstone ashlar surround and timber door is positioned to the west. A pair of lodges are built into the wall to the west. Later cast-iron railings flank the porch with urn finials, terminating at lamp standards. A cast-iron lamp standard dated 1901 stands to the northeast. A terrace of coursed rockfaced sandstone with ashlar balustrade extends to the rear of the house; central steps descend to a lower garden terrace. A stepped base surmounted by a partially intact lion statue stands to the west.