Old Office House, Grange Road. Grange Distillery, Burntisland

Old Office House, Grange Road, Grange Distillery, Burntisland

An early 19th century house of 2 storeys with basement, appearing as 3 storeys on the falling ground to the rear. It is a 3-bay building incorporating office space, constructed in dressed ashlar with long and shortwork quoins. The house likely dates from 1806 when the distillery was rebuilt, having previously served as the residence of the distillery proprietor before being converted to offices.

The entrance elevation faces north-east and is symmetrical. Three steps lead to a centre deep-set panelled door with a radial-astragalled fanlight set within a Doric-columned doorcase. Windows occupy the flanking bays, with a small window at ground level on the right lighting the basement and a moulded chamfer to the outer right corner. The first floor has regular bays. The south-west rear elevation adjoins the boundary wall of Grange Distillery to the right. The ground floor contains blocked windows at the centre and in the flanking bays, whilst the first and second floors have regular bays. A modern rooflight sits at the centre above, flanked by 19th century rooflights. The north-west elevation has a door under a relieving arch to the left of centre within a single storey pitched-roofed kitchen wing that was being rebuilt in 1994. The south-east elevation has a basement door to the left with a blocked window at approximately the centre and a further window to the right; windows also appear to the left at ground and first floor levels.

The sash and case windows throughout have a 12-pane glazing pattern. The roof is covered in grey slates. Chimneys are coped ashlar stacks with polygonal cans and ashlar coped skews.

The interior retains considerable character and original detail. The vestibule features a radial-astragalled fanlight over a panelled interior door, with delicate cornicing and classical ceiling plasterwork. The original office preserves a locking cupboard with cash drawers and pigeon-hole shelving. The principal room is fitted with timber pilasters and an Ionic cornice, an arched alcove, and a timber and gesso fireplace decorated with classical swags, urns and cornicing. Cast-iron fireplaces (one with pot-stand), working shutters, plain timber panelling, and a curved stone stair with plain cast-iron balusters and timber handrail are also present throughout.

Boundary walls of saddleback-coped rubble surround the property.

Grange Distillery began in 1767 as a brewery under Messrs. Boog and Thomson. In 1786 it was converted to a distillery, with Messrs. Young becoming involved. The business was licensed to William Young & Company in 1813 and continued operating into 1986. At its height, the distillery occupied a 6-acre site with its own coopers, joiners, stables, fire-engine, gasworks and excisemen's facilities, feeding byres, malt barn and bonded warehouses, producing 260,000 gallons of lowland malt annually and providing regular employment for approximately 100 men and 50 horses. The Young family owned extensive property in and around Burntisland; William Young of Dunearn served as provost in 1831–34 and 1848–51. The family presented the Music Hall in Thistle Street to the burgh in 1869 and family graves remain in the kirkyard of the old Kirk at Kirkton.

Related listed buildings include the Warehouse, Long Byre, Grange Flats, Grange Distillery Cottage and Main Gateway.