Description

A former mill-owner's house in the gabled cottage style with overhanging eaves, timber barge-boards and diamond-plan chimney stacks. The house predominantly dates to 1845 (with the possible inclusion of some fabric from an earlier house on the site) and was enlarged and remodelled during the later 19^th century. Located beside the River Leven near the west entrance to the once extensive Tullis Russell Paper Mills, the house is two-storey with attic and basement, constructed of narrow bands of dressed stone ashlar, with droved quoins, stone cills and mullions. It has an addition to the rear forming a T-plan. The windows have timber sash and case frames with a horizontal or 'lying-pane' glazing pattern. The roof has a covering of graded grey slates, relieved by aligned groups of tall, cavetto coped and shouldered, diamond-plan chimney stacks.

The south (entrance) elevation has a broad, advanced gabled bay to the right with a full height canted window, corniced at both floors and extending into the gable head. A part-glazed and panelled timber door with margined glass fanlight and a window in the bay to left of centre with dormer headed window above breaking eaves. A lean-to porch with cast iron columns, added in 1924, crosses the central bay and abuts the advanced gable to the right. The supporting cast iron columns are linked with delicate cast iron arcading.

The north elevation has an open basement level on falling ground sloping down to the river. The basement has a door at the centre, a window to the left and a small opening to right. The blank gable above is surmounted by four diamond stacks. The west and east elevations of the rear wing both have two dormer-headed windows breaking the eaves of the rear wing.

The interior (seen in 1996 and in photographs dated 2018 and 2021) has an inner hall with a parquet floor, a segmental headed passageway running under the stair; a curving stair with panelled walls, and a circular roof-light cupola with plain astragals. Decorative cast iron balusters and a timber handrail have been removed from the main stair prior to 2018. One ground floor room has a timber fireplace with fluted pilasters and swag decorations. Elsewhere, the interiors retain simple moulded fireplaces, plain cornicing, panelled timber shutters and window backs, elbow linings and soffits, and brass sash lifts.

A timber framed, glazed conservatory and hot house (adjoining the west gable of the house) has largely collapsed, with the base and north wall partly remaining (2023).

The boundary walls have been removed to accommodate access to and from the adjacent biomass energy plant (constructed 2013-15).

Statutory address, category of listing changed from B to C and listed building record revised in 2023. Previously listed as 'Tullis Russell Paper Mills, Rothes House with Conservatory and Boundary Walls'.

Statement of Interest

Rothes House was found to meet the criteria of special architectural or historic interest.

• As a good, representative example of a mid-to-late 19^th century on-site mill owner's residence, retaining a significant proportion of its 19th century character with coursed ashlar stonework, over-hanging eaves, lying-pane glazing, grouped diamond-plan chimney stacks, and delicate ironwork.

• For the partial survival of its historic setting that continues to contribute to our understanding of the building's architectural and historic interest.

• As a principal surviving component of a once extensive paper making industry at Markinch, with the Tullis Russell company being among the largest paper manufacturers and exporters in Britain during the 19^th century.

Historical development

Rothes House (previously known as Rothes Cottage) is associated with the development of the Auchmuty and Rothes Paper Mills on the banks of the River Leven at Markinch.

The stretch of the River Leven between Markinch and Glenrothes became a principal site of paper manufacturing in Fife during the 19^th century. Rothes Paper Mill is understood to have been the earliest paper mill in Fife, started in 1804-6 by William and Archibald Keith, while the adjacent Auchmuty Paper Mill was founded in 1809 by Robert Tullis.

One of the first industrial paper-making machines in the country was installed at Rothes Mill during the 1820s (Power and Paper, Tullis Russell, Glenrothes, Fife).

Robert Tullis acquired Rothes Mill in 1836, principally producing "brown and grey wrapping papers" (New Statistical Account, 1845). Rothes House was built in 1845 as the on-site residence for William Tullis and Agnes Russell, owners of the merged Rothes and Auchmuty paper mills.

The first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1854 shows that Rothes House was rectangular in plan at that time. The house was remodelled and enlarged during the second half of the 19^th century to form a T-plan residence with adjoining conservatory.

After the Second World War the house became the offices of the Tullis Russell Company chairman, Dr David Russell (born at Rothes House in 1915). The building was listed at category B in 1996 while still in use as the company offices. The Tullis Russell mill ceased operations in April 2011, after more than two centuries of paper production.

Rothes House has not been occupied since the paper mill closed. The boundary walls and front garden of Rothes House were removed as part of the construction of a biomass energy plant alongside Rothes House in 2013-15. The timber conservatory and hothouse to the west elevation has largely collapsed in recent years (2023). The industrial paper mill buildings on the wider site have been or are in the process of being demolished to make way for a mixed use residential and commercial development (2023).

Architectural interest

Design

Rothes House is a largely intact example of a mid-to-late 19^th-century, on-site mill owner's residence, retaining a significant proportion of its 19th century character with quality coursed stonework, deeply over-hanging eaves, lying-pane glazing, grouped diamond-plan chimney stacks, and delicate ironwork.

Typical of the building type, there is no significant technological innovation in its design or material construction. Sandstone is a standard material for large cottage-style villas of its period in Scotland.

Also typical is the lack of overt or lavish external architectural detailing. The design of many on-site industrial residences are modest or cottage-style in appearance, reflecting the broader function of the site as a place of work.

The interior scheme retains a number of elements that are representative of the size and status of the property including a central stair cupola, moulded panelling and cornicing.

The style of the property is comparable to various smaller-scale private house and lodge commissions carried out by architects William Burn and David Bryce. This is evident in features such as the tall diamond-plan chimney stacks, over-hanging eaves and lying-pane window frames.

The enlargement of the house during the second half of the 19^th century evidences the increasing fortunes of the Tullis Russell Company, while still maintaining a modest and homely 'cottage' appearance. The additions and alterations to the property may be attributed to the architectural partnership of James Gillespie and James Scott, who carried out a great number of works at the Tullis Russell Paper Mills between 1876 and 1935 (Dictionary of Scottish Architects).

Setting

Rothes House is located within the former Rothes Paper Mill site, near the principal west entrance driveway. The house was located strategically within the site to allow for intervisibility between the management and the workers on the site.

There have been substantial changes to buildings previously in the vicinity of the house. The wider manufacturing complex of paper mill buildings, including the courtyard arrangement of workers cottages to the west of Rothes House, have been demolished or are in the process of being demolished. A large biomass energy plant was constructed beside Rothes House in 2013-15. The boundary walls and the landscaped front garden of Rothes House were removed to facilitate vehicle access to and from the plant.

However, there are elements of the earlier setting relating to the original function of the site and the house that survive and continue to contribute to its architectural interest. A partially surviving rear garden area retains a variety of specimen trees.. The River Leven runs to the rear of the house, including a network of mill lades, sluice gates and a weir, forming the northern boundary of the garden. The weir and lade components are surviving evidence of the 19^th century paper milling industry on this site. Together, they are essential for our understanding of the industrial use of the site and continue to contribute to the setting and the historical context of Rothes House.

Historic interest

Age and rarity

Rothes House was constructed in 1845 with substantial additions carried out during the latter half of the 19^th century. Mid-19^th century detached houses are a common building type in Scotland, with sandstone ashlar and rubble being a standard material for cottage-style villas of this period.

On-site industrial owner's and manager's houses of the 19^th century which survive with their industrial complexes largely intact are less common.

A well-known listed example with its mill setting intact is former mill owner, Robert Owen's simply adorned and prominently sited house at New Lanark Mills (circa 1790, Category A, LB37047). Meanwhile, the former mill owner's house at Garrion Bridge, Wishaw (Category C, LB47987) is on a similar scale to Rothes House.

While the associated historic paper mill no longer survives, Rothes House retains interest as a representative example of a mid-to-late 19^th century on-site mill owner's residence, retaining a significant proportion of its 19th century architectural character.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting.

The Tullis Russell family of paper makers were among the largest employers in Fife during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Much of the company's success has been attributed to the strong relationship between employer and employees, as well as its capacity for innovation (Tullis Russell Paper Mills Collection, St Andrews). An exhibition in 2017 detailing the history and the archives of the Tullis Russell Company noted that the company had played a major role in the welfare of their workers and the local community, including the founding, funding or sponsoring of many public buildings, schools, social events and clubs in the Markinch and Glenrothes area of Fife (The Courier, 2017).

Rothes House was built as the home of William Tullis and Agnes Russell. William Tullis was a Liberal activist with numerous intellectual and social interests. The couple established various benefits for their mill employees, foreshadowing later welfare provision at a time when these innovations were still largely thought of as undesirable.

Rothes House at that time has been described as a 'social and intellectual centre of generous hospitality and lively discussion' and 'something of a political salon of the Liberal party' with visits made by prominent liberals such as the Chief Whip of the Whig Party, Edward Ellice, and the editor of the Scotsman newspaper, Alexander Russell (Ketelbey 1967: pp.89, 129).

A later chairman of the company, Sir David Russell (1872-1956), continued the family's progressive view of ownership and worker's rights including the provision of company shares, pensions, and healthcare.

Rothes House is now the principal surviving component of this once important and extensive paper making industry. As the on-site residence of numerous members of the Tullis-Russell family of mill owners for more than a century, Rothes House has interest as an important surviving component of a socially progressive industry and employer for the local area.

Association with people or events of national importance

There is no known special interest under this heading.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17811166

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)