Largo House, Fife

Large mansion house between Upper Largo & Lundin Links in Fife.

Building commenced on this John Adam styled mansion in 1753 for estate landowner James Durham and served as the house for this inportant local family. Aside from this, the house was also a prominant local employer.

During the second World War, it served as HQ for the Independent Polish Parachute Brigade who fought under General Sosabowski in Operation Market-Garden and then it housed the Polish Military Geographical Institute until 1946.

Declared derelict in 1951, the roof was removed (allegedly to avoid paying taxes) and it was left to rot.

In 1980 the owner of the building sought to demolish it as it had lain derelict for 30 but this led to strong opposition from the Scottish Civic Trust and demolition plans are refused. In 1990, the owner submits plans for a housing development in the grounds of the house and neighbouring farm but this again is rejected with Fife Council sanctioning only the resoration of the house itself.

In 1997, reports surface that a Scottish financier is hoping to purchase and restore the house. Restoration is estimated at £1.8 million and could take 5-6 years. however the owner reports that she has decided not to sell or develop the house at present. Deveopment ideas and planning applications/restrictions are argued over for the next ten years with little or no progress being made.

2008 and nothing has happened, the house sits there slowly being taken back by nature....

The original front gates:





How it looked in 1997 (image borrowed from the Civic Trust):



How it looks now:



Front door:









You can see that some of the original wall coverings are still present:





Remains of staircases:





Cellar:





It really must have been a remarkable building in its time and it's a crying shame it's been allowed to fall into such disrepair.

What a beautiful building, even in its present state. It's shocking that people can buy properties such as this, then just leave it to rot away. It's a pityy someone else couldn't buy it and make it into a beautiful house once more, or even turned into a 5* hotel. Anything like that is better than it being left like this.

Cheers Ditto, excellent pics. Loved reading the history of the building too.

Sal

Nice one mate

Passed this place a couple of times last Monday, cracking building.

I remember the landowner chasing me off rather angrily a few years back when I went for a nosey

It does like very grand. And good to see pictures of the cellar too!

zimbob said:

Nice one mate

Passed this place a couple of times last Monday, cracking building.

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We passed it practically every day in our Fife road-trip. We should've had a wee look.

Nice pics Dittohead. Interesting to see the fake stonework inside. Very unusual

That has been on my 'to do' list for a while.
Damn your hide sir for beating me to it, but well done, great pics.

Great Pictures I would be keen to see some more, if you have them that is ? i don't get much time in that kneck of the woods.

smileysal said:

What a beautiful building, even in its present state. It's shocking that people can buy properties such as this, then just leave it to rot away. It's a pityy someone else couldn't buy it and make it into a beautiful house once more, or even turned into a 5* hotel. Anything like that is better than it being left like this.

Cheers Ditto, excellent pics. Loved reading the history of the building too.

Sal

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Give me a paintbrush and i'll be there in 15 mins, what do you rekon, any good with floorboards?

I'd love to buy a place like that and put it back to how it was... I go to a school/6th Form which is in a old manor house, and I hate it every time someone puts another cable on the wall or screws into the woodwork!

Thanks for the comments everyone. upholland, I have more pics but haven't uploaded them yet. I'll try and sort them out soon.

Agree with everyone...delightful building. Love seeing the old lathe and plaster work still there in places. I must admit, I'm not sure why anyone would make plaster look like brickwork, though!

Corrections

Good to see some more people interested in Largo House. A couple of corrections first. The date for the financier wishing to purchase/renovate was 1993 not 1997. The house was not declared derelict; it was deliberately made derelict in 1951 by removal of the roof/floors to avoid paying the rates (not allegedly; this is a documented fact). The demolition firm was Charles Brand Ltd. of Dundee.

Other comments. Although it appears nothing is going on to rescue this house this is not the case. Historic Scotland are considering including the grounds on the Register of Designed Landscapes. Fife Council are reviewing whether to include the grounds in an Area of Great Landscape Value. The current Listed Building Categories are being reviewed. Continued opposition to needless and unsympathetic 'enabling development' is vigorously maintained by the local villages (the owner wishes to build 200+ houses in the grounds and surrounding fields to 'restore' the house). The AHF are currently doing an options appraisal to establish what future the House might have.

It cannot be turned into a 5* hotel as planning permission will never be given to extend the House beyond its current footprint. This is endorsed by Historic Scotland, SCT, AHS, NTS, Fife Council, RCAHMS, etc.

The plasterwork in the stairhall was to emulate rusticated ashlar blockwork and was unique to Scotland. There is one other house in England with this type of decoration; Davenport House, Shropshire (see below). A staircase similar to that at Largo can be glimpsed through the arch in the background.



The House was not bought and allowed to rot away. It was inherited as one of 17 estates left to the same person in 1901. The descendants of that person still own it. They have consistently refused to sell to any other party, believing that they will eventually 'force' people to support massive local development and make millions. The owners are the Maitland Makgill Chrichton family of Monzie Castle, Crieff.

The angry landowner doing the chasing would have been the tenant farmer, Mr Clarke, who has been known to brandish a shotgun and is oblivious to countryside access legislation.

A couple of aerial pictures might interest you:

Before.



And after (current, taken July 2008)



If anyone wants more images or information on any aspect of the House, please let me know. I can be contacted through www.thelargotrust.org

Thanks for the additions, great stuff.

The angry landowner doing the chasing would have been the tenant farmer, Mr Clarke, who has been known to brandish a shotgun and is oblivious to countryside access legislation.

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I'd like to see him turn a blind eye to retaliatory self defence.

Very interesting history and info. Especially interesting to see the similar plasterwork in Davenport House. Cheers for that.

Nice one Mr Curator - there are a few other similar buildings round there which might pop up soon, it'd be interesting to hear any other info in the future.

In the words of Shaw Taylor, keep em peeled

Pop-ups

I shall wait to see which ones you refer to with interest!

thecurator said:

The angry landowner doing the chasing would have been the tenant farmer, Mr Clarke, who has been known to brandish a shotgun and is oblivious to countryside access legislation.

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That sounds like the fellow

I'll mebbe take one of my guns down next time.... :icon_evil

This is on the BBC local news today. Has the rest of the house really gone?

The article above refers to the Medieval Largo House, not the 1753 one. The Tower is the last remnant of the original house. The 18th Century one has not changed since Dittohead started this thread. More information on the Tower is at www.thelargotrust.org

I'd love to visit this but don't fancy a 12 bore aimed at my arse whilst doing so!!