Town House, Wemyssfield, Kirkcaldy

Town House, Wemyssfield, Kirkcaldy

A 3-storey municipal building with basement, designed by Carr and Howard and completed in two stages: the first in 1953 and the second in 1956, following an interruption by the Second World War. The design is modern classical in style with 17 bays (grouped 1-3-1-11-1 across the principal elevation). The building is steel-framed, rendered in cement as ashlar with roll-moulded margins. It features a deep moulded base course, eaves cornice and blocking course, with fielded pilastered and corniced openings, glazed oculi, voussoirs and keystones. A tall copper clocktower rises from the flat roof.

The principal (north) elevation has a broad entrance bay set left of centre, with a canopy supported on wide rectangular columns. The upper half of these columns is open, creating the appearance of windows. Similar broad pilasters flank the pilastered doorcase, which contains a deep-set 2-leaf panelled timber door with flanking windows. Columnar lamps flank the top step. The canopy frieze is fluted and decorated with thistles, crescent moons and stars. Above rises a giant corniced and pilastered tripartite window with French doors to the outer lower lights and a panelled transom above. Small flanking windows are partially obscured by ironwork sculptures. The bays to either side of the centre have regular fenestration. A blank stepped-back bay occupies the outer right, while a lower recessed bay to the outer left contains two small windows behind decorative cast-iron guards and a bronze statue titled 'The Sower'.

The south elevation contains 16 bays (grouped 1-10-1-3-1). An advanced entrance bay set right of centre has a double stair and decorative cast-iron lamps to the pilastered and canopied doorcase with attenuated brackets, keystone and voussoirs. The door is a 2-leaf panelled timber type with small flanking windows set behind cast-iron guards. Carved stone above carries the inscription 'The Abbey'. The blank face above features flanking plain pilasters. The return to the right has four small basement windows, four windows to the ground floor (the rightmost in the advanced bay), and a tall tripartite window above with French doors and decorative cast-iron balcony. A glazed oculus appears to the outer right in the advanced bay, with a small bipartite window above. The return to the left mirrors this arrangement. Three bays to the right have regular fenestration, with a lower bay at the outer right containing two small windows each with cast-iron guard. A round carved panel above bears a tree and the inscription 'SIGIL DE DYSERT'. The bays to the left of the entrance bay have regular fenestration. An advanced bay to the outer left has a vehicle entrance at basement level with regular fenestration above. Its return to the right features steps, piers, a dwarf wall, decorative cast-iron lamp and railings giving access to three bays, each with a 2-leaf part-glazed timber door and plate glass fanlight. Regular fenestration appears on each floor above.

The west elevation has 7 bays. The penultimate bay to the left has steps with flanking dwarf walls and decorative cast-iron lamp brackets leading to a canopied and pilastered doorway with a 2-leaf panelled timber door and fanlight with cast-iron lamp. Decorative panels above carry a star to the left and crescent moon to the right. A circular voussoired stone above bears the inscriptions 'The Abbey' and 'VIGILANDO MUNIO', with a window to the 2nd floor above. All other bays have regular fenestration including basement level.

The east elevation has a lower advanced bay with three windows to both ground and 1st floor, the latter being taller with a common decorative cast-iron balcony. Above is a recessed face with two windows to the right and two to the left.

The windows throughout use a 3-pane glazing pattern in top-opening metal frames.

The clocktower is 4-stage. The deep rectangular 1st stage is fluted with a 2-leaf door to the north and a cornice above. The 2nd stage has a deep plinth and engaged piers with tall urn-like finials at the angles. The 3rd stage is tall with louvered sides, a clock on each face and a cornice above. A shallow plinth with finials at each angle rises to a tall fluted stage with a ball finial beneath a 7.5-foot weathervane depicting St Bryce with a symbolic tree.

The interior features decorative cornices, linoleum by Nairns, and air vents all carrying a recurring star and crescent theme. The hall is timber-panelled with a T-plan stair bearing a mural by Walter Pritchard. A boarded timber stairhead displays a call-box for the District Court (no longer in use here) and columnar lamps echoing those at the main entrance. The council chamber has a public gallery and curtains bearing the coat of arms.

Six decorative cast-iron Provost's lamps with etched and coloured glass lanterns from former local authorities are situated to the southwest. Low saddleback-coped boundary walls, some with railings, define the boundary.