Office building, former Ingleside Works, Kirkcaldy, Fife

Description

A later 19th century, single storey, 3-bay former steel foundry building and 2-storey, 4-bay office building to the right, linked by a recessed wall with a central archway at the south elevation. The buildings are classical in style, using polychrome brickwork, with red brick and cream brick dressings.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the gabled rectangular-plan additions to the north and east.

The foundry and office buildings have rounded corner angles and corbelled window cills. The doorways have moulded brick surrounds and the windows are round-arched with a central keystone and framed by rounded brick margins. The central cart arch in the linking wall is flanked by projecting pilasters and has a modillion cornice.

The west elevation of the former foundry building has an arcade of 6 round-arched openings, divided by polychrome brick columns. Each archway has impost blocks and a diamond-face keystone. The foundry and office building have later, corrugated-iron roof coverings and most openings have been filled with breeze block (2016).

The interior of the former office wing has not been seen (2016). A timber dog-leg staircase and boarded timber dado was noted in 1998.

Statement of Interest

The former Ingleside Steel Foundry is an important part of Kirkcaldy's industrial history, particularly in this area of Kirkcaldy where many of the industrial buildings of the 19th century have been demolished. While Kirkcaldy is known for industries such as linen and linoleum, the survival of these 19th century steel foundry buildings demonstrate the diversity of industry in the area, with steel manufacture important in supporting the local economy.

The former foundry, office and linking wall make good use of contrasting polychrome brickwork, using moulded arch surrounds with keystones, modillion cornicing, impost blocks, pilasters and corbelled window cills in the classical style. Brick was well suited for industrial buildings due to its relative cheapness and speed of construction.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the 20th century gabled rectangular-plan additions to the north and east.

Age and Rarity

Ingleside Steel Foundry is first shown on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map, revised in 1894. On this map the rectangular footprint of the foundry and office buildings are shown as well as the linking wall between them. The foundry is not shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey, surveyed in 1856 and it is therefore likely the buildings were built between 1856 and 1894.

Before 1893, the Ingleside Works were owned by the Barclay Bonthrone Steel Company of Pathhead, Kirkcaldy. By 1898, the Ingleside foundry was in the ownership of The Fife Forge Company with a Mr John Harley being the sole partner (Fife Free Press, 2 February 1898).

The previous listed building record, written in 1998, notes that the owner of the site at that time held drawn plans dated 1912 which were prepared for the Fife Forge Company for the expansion of the Ingleside Foundry. The 3rd Edition Ordnance Survey Map, revised in 1913, shows major additions to the north side of the foundry and the office building, and a large rectangular addition to the west, all of which are likely to be the additions proposed by William Syme in 1912. These additions are not considered to be of special architectural or historic interest and are excluded from the listing. The large gabled brick building to the west of the polychromatic brick buildings, which is shown in a 1933 aerial photograph (Canmore), is no longer extant (2016).

The majority of steel works in Scotland were established on the River Clyde - mostly in Glasgow and Motherwell - in the wake of the invention of open-heath mild steel around 1870. The Dalzell Steel Company (established 1871) and the Clydebridge Steel Company (established 1887) are two of the largest and longest running of the early steel manufactures in Scotland.

Kirkcaldy developed into the industrial and trading centre of Fife during the 19th century, largely revolving around iron founding and linen manufacture. A small number of open-hearth steel works were established in the Kirkcaldy area during the latter half of the 19th century, largely to serve the local harbour, coal, linoleum and other industries.

Architectural or Historic Interest

Interior

The listed building record written in 1998 notes the survival of a timber staircase and timber panelling to dado height within the former office wing.

Plan form

Many industrial buildings of the 19th century located their company offices in a separate building rather than incorporating them into the main body of the building. The former Ingleside Steel Foundry follows this pattern with a detached office block to the east of the foundry, forming an L-plan arrangement. The two buildings are linked by a wall with a central archway and this linking wall is in the same architectural style, giving continuity across the principal south facing elevation. The archway is likely to have served a functional purpose, providing access between yards to the north and the railway line to the south. The footprint of these buildings as shown on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map remains evident to the south, west and east elevations.

Technological excellence or innovation, material or design quality

The foundry and office buildings at the former Ingleside Steel Foundry make good use of contrasting red and cream (polychrome) brickwork in the classical style using moulded arch surrounds with keystones, modillion cornicing, impost blocks, pilasters and corbelled window cills.

While these 19th century buildings have been altered, with later metal roof coverings and blocked openings, the principal elevations to the south and to the west largely retain their distinctive red and cream brick details.

Setting

The surviving 19th century buildings at the former Ingleside Foundry are an early and architecturally significant remnant of this key industrial area of Kirkcaldy. The former steel foundry, office building and linking wall are located beside the railway line through Kirkcaldy. The 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey Map (revised in 1913) shows that there were many industrial buildings in this area located along the length of the railway in Kirkcaldy and served by branch railway lines for distribution purposes. Many of the buildings in this industrial area of Kirkcaldy have been demolished, largely from 1940 onwards.

Regional variations

There are no known regional variations.

Close Historical Associations

There are no known associations with a person or event of national importance at present (2016).

Statutory address, category of listing changed from B to C and listed building record revised in 2017. Previously listed as '5 Smeaton Road, Glenaber Engineers, polychrome buildings including boundary walls'.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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