Caldervale, West Green, Culross

This is a mid-18th century house, possibly with earlier origins, located in West Green, Culross. It is a rectangular, two-storey building originally with four bays, though later rear additions have been made. The exterior is predominantly pebble-dashed, with ashlar stone surrounds for the windows and doors, a cavetto eaves course, and an eastern vertical margin.

The south (principal) elevation is symmetrical, with three bays defining the original house section. A central door is framed by a moulded, lugged doorpiece with a keystone; this is flanked by windows. Three first-floor windows are positioned close to the eaves, centred above the ground-floor openings. An additional bay extends to the east, housing two garage doors, with a first-floor window above.

The west elevation adjoins Undercliff, while the east elevation connects to Wrights House. The north elevation has an advanced section to the far left, a ground-floor door to a garage on the left side, and a blocked catslide dormer above. A lean-to roof forms a single-storey porch on the left. A ground-floor door gives access to the kitchen, and a first-floor timber lean-to addition projects centrally, featuring a window and a door to the right; metal steps with cast-iron balusters lead down to the garden. A later two-storey bathroom and store wing extends to the far right, with a ground-floor door and a first-floor window in its left return.

The windows are 12-pane timber sash and case style, and a roof light is visible at the rear. A timber-panelled, two-leaf entrance door features a narrow fanlight. The pitched slate roof is punctuated by a coped ridge stack on the east gable of the house, a coped gable apex stack on the east bay, and polygonal cans. An asphalt roof covers the rear bathroom extension.

Inside, a central flight of stone stairs rises opposite the entrance door. The lobby floor is finished with flagstones. A cupboard in a room to the west, to the left of the fireplace, conceals steps and a former interconnecting door to Undercliff. The kitchen is located to the right of the entrance door, featuring a central window; a blocked window and a blocked door are positioned to the west and east of the kitchen window respectively. A door connects the kitchen to the garage. A cut through the rear wall provides access to a timber corridor on the first floor, exposing the wall’s thickness. Coved ceilings are present on the first floor. A fireplace in a bedroom above the kitchen contains an early Victorian grate, and murals depicting scenes of Culross were uncovered on three walls of this room in January 2006. A late Victorian grate is found in the fireplace of a bedroom above the garage. Panelled shutters are fitted in the window splays, along with window seats.

Low, stugged stone walls are present, with ashlar coping that extends from the Undercliff wall to the front of the property and to the left of the garage doors. A replacement metal gate is in place. Three spur stones are also visible. Stone steps at the rear of the house lead from the ground floor to the garden, while stone steps in the rear garden ascend to a parapet walk beyond a rubble and brick wall.