An outstanding A Listed manse dating from 1590 has been brought to the Scottish property market.
Offered for sale by Galbraith, Melville Manse is thought to date from 1590 when the house was built on land donated by the Laird of Anstruther. The property is believed to have become the Manse of Anstruther Easter in 1713 when Sir John Anstruther exchanged the house for Lady Melrose House (Melville House).
There were believed to have been extensions in 1753 when the west extension was built and an extension in 1864 bringing the manse to how it may have looked when it was first Category ‘A’ Listed by Historic Scotland in 1972.
The restoration was awarded a Saltire Award in 1977 however the house was put on the At Risk register in April 2008 and was sold to the current owners in 2010 who then carried out a full restoration and further extension to the north which was completed in 2014.
Externally the house is of an attractive white rendered exterior under a slate roof with traditional crow stepped gables, with the original tower to the front featuring a “Whisky Room’ at the top. The generous and beautifully presented L shaped accommodation is arranged over three levels, extending to just under 400 sq metres (4,250 square feet).
The main living accommodation is at first floor level with a wonderful open plan kitchen/dining room/sitting room very much at the heart of the house with adjacent snug, formal drawing room and office/bedroom with adjacent shower room completing the accommodation at this level.
Upstairs at second floor level is the main bedroom accommodation with the impressive vaulted principal bedroom benefittng from four piece en-suite bathroom. The main guest bedroom also benefits from an en-suite shower room with super galleried sky lounge/TV room off and also accessed via a separate spiral staircase from the first floor.
A further bedroom and shower room completes the accommodation at this level.
At ground floor level the impressive main entrance hall provides access to a further sitting room, office and useful utility area.
There is also a further vaulted second kitchen at ground floor level, together with charming vaulted guest bedroom. A lovely four piece bathroom and separate shower room completes the accommodation at this level.
Melville Manse benefits from two beautiful staircases with the original main tower staircase to the front benefitting from a reading room/study at first floor level and delightful tower room at the top of the tower.
The second staircase runs from the main entrance hall to the open-plan kitchen/dining room/sitting room and then on up to the sky lounge/TV room at second floor level.
Subject to individual requirements there is scope to use part of the ground floor as a lovely self contained one bedroom unit with kitchen, sitting room and bathroom entered independently from the side of the house.
There is underfloor heating throughout and a state of the art sound system to all areas of the house.
Melville Manse stands in a lovely well-proportioned enclosed garden with high stone walls and an attractive mix of plants, trees and shrubs as well as extensive lawns and lovely sheltered terraces and seating areas. There is ample parking for 7/8 vehicles to the rear and side of the property.
The East Neuk villages, which include Pittenweem, St. Monans, Crail and Anstruther itself, offer an excellent range of shops, services and amenities as well as state of the art primary and secondary schools. The Anstruther Harbour Festival and the Pittenweem Arts Festival are both very popular annual events and from Anstruther there is easy access along the whole of the East Neuk from Elie to Crail while St Andrews – the world “Home of Golf” – is less than a 20 minute drive to the north. The ‘Old Grey Toon’, as St Andrews is known, is a wonderful ancient, historic and cosmopolitan destination offering an excellent range of facilities along with a very highly regarded university.
Surrounding Anstruther is an area of outstandingly beautiful Fife countryside comprising a wonderful mix of fertile farmland, woodland, hill, stunning coastline and river.
The area is home to an array of wildlife and for the outdoor enthusiast provides for a wide range of recreational pursuits including sailing, cycling, riding, walking and of course golf with many highly rated courses within easy reach including the courses at Anstruther itself, Crail, Kingsbarns, St Andrews Bay, Elie, Leven, Ladybank, Lundin Links and the numerous fine courses in and around St Andrews with the Old Course regularly hosting the British Open – the next visit to St Andrews is in 2021 for the events’ 150th anniversary.
Melville Manse is well placed for accessing the various pretty fishing villages of Fife’s quaint East Neuk and in terms of days out the wide open spaces of the Lomond Hills are not far away along with a number of popular National Trust for Scotland properties including nearby Kellie Castle, Hill of Tarvit and Falkland Palace.
Fife’s beautiful and varied coastline includes several good sandy beaches such as Kingsbarns, Crail, Tentsmuir, Elie and St Andrews with access to the popular Fife coastal path on the doorstep in Anstruther.
There are railway stations at Leuchars, Cupar, Ladybank, Markinch and Kirkcaldy with Edinburgh airport less than an hour and 20 minutes to the south. The regional airport at Dundee also offers a selection of short-haul flights.
Spacious, unique and utterly delightful – and with a fascinating history – Melville Manse offers purchasers a rare opportunity to acquire a wonderful historic property dating from the sixteenth century but which also offers outstanding high quality contemporary living, all in a beautiful coastal setting.
The agents will consider offers over £1,150,000.
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