Tolbooth, Main Street, West Wemyss, Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages, Fife

Entry Name: Tolbooth, Main Street, West Wemyss

Listing Name: West Wemyss, Main Street, Tolbooth

Listing Date: 11 December 1972

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 350485

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB16694

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: West Wemyss, Main Street, Tolbooth

ID on this website: 200350485

Location: Wemyss

County: Fife

Electoral Ward: Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages

Parish: Wemyss

Traditional County: Fife

Tagged with: Tollbooth Tolbooth

Description

Probably late-17th century. Two-storey, three-bay tolbooth with a narrow clock tower and pend in regular terrace. Harled rubble with stone margins to first floor.

Northwest (Main Street) Elevation: tower (see below) projecting to centre bay with broad segmentally-arched pend (see Notes) to right and forestair to left of centre at ground. Windows to outer bays at first floor.

TOWER: five-stage, square-plan tower. Northwest elevation with chamfered angle to right and forestair abutting to left. Two carved panels high up at first stage, lower panel with arms and initials of David, 2nd Earl of Wemyss (1610-1679), upper panel with coronet and inscription said to have read: THIS FABRIC WAS BUILT BY EARL DAVID / WEMYSS AND TOWN / FOR THE CRIBBING OF VICE AND SERVICE TO / CROWN. Boarded timber door on return to left. Second stage of the tower with arrowslit to northwest, third stage with arrowslit to each elevation, fourth stage with clock face to each elevation and fifth stage as the third, but with wider openings giving way to lead/copper splay-foot spire with swan weathervane.

Blinded windows. Clay pantiles. Harled chimneystacks with cans and ashlar-coped skews.

Interior: second floor now a single room (formerly partitioned) with 18th century-style decorated plaster ceiling. Two fireplaces to east, roof rebuilt.

Statement of Interest

Property of Wemyss Properties Ltd. West Wemyss was erected a burgh of barony in 1525, and the tolbooth first mentioned in 1586, although its exact site is unknown. The present tolbooth was likely built by David 2nd Earl of Wemyss, with minor refurbishments in 1718 by his grandson, David 3rd Earl of Wemyss (from information held at Weymss Castle). It had cells at ground floor with entrances (now sealed) in the pend. The tower was converted from a pigeon loft to clock tower in 1901. In 1974 it was renovated and the slated roof replaced with fibre glass and stainless steel covered with copper.

De-scheduled 15 November 1999.

Listed building record updated in 2025.

External Links

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