Pond Cottage, Culross, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12

Single storey period cottage on edge of River Forth with lovely garden and salt water pond

Description

Pond Cottage is a historic, Category C listed building dating from the mid-18th century. It is stone built with the cottage, pond and garden all being enclosed within sandstone walls.

The property has historical significance, with its connection to the former salt work site. During the late 16th / early 17th century there were numerous salt pans in Culross selling salt to England, Germany, and the Netherlands. Sir Robert Preston (1739-1834), who lived at Culross Abbey House converted a reservoir into a large salt water pond and built Pond Cottage, formerly called Preston Cottage. Water comes into the pond from the Forth through holes in the south wall. Preston was said to have kept turtles in the pond.

The cottage has been altered and added to. It is now a comfortable, single storey family home laid out in a U shape and extending to over 2,600 ft2. There is a central dining hall which is flanked by sitting rooms either side. The west wing comprises a side entrance, a utility room and a large, fitted kitchen. The east wing is the bedroom wing with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

There is a canopy over the central front door facing the pond with a carved lintel relating to Edward Bruce who built Culross Abbey House and his wife Magdalen Clerk.

Accommodation

Side door to vestibule. Hall with full wall coat cupboards. Utility room with Hotpoint washing machine and Creda dryer.

Kitchen with wooden fitted units with granite work surfaces, Bosch hob, 1½ sink, Aeg double wall oven, Fisher & Paykel drawer dishwasher, island unit, integrated fridge, tiled floor.

Corridor along north of house with WC off. Central dining hall with red oak front door, fireplace with ornate carved mantel. Family room and sitting room either side of dining hall both with fireplace with wooden mantels.

Bedroom corridor with shower room off. Bedrooms 2 & 3 both with built in wardrobes. Two built in cupboards. Principal bedroom with central arch and built in wardrobes. En suite bathroom.

Grounds

The grounds are fully enclosed and extend to 1.55 acres including the pond which is 0.94 acres. The garden forms a rectangle behind the pond with the high stone wall shielding it from the road behind.

Wooden gates open into a parking and turning area with a garage to the side. A path with a pagoda over leads through the garden to the side door. In front of the house, within the U shape, is a paved and gravel terrace with a central bed. There is a hedge dividing off the pond with a wrought iron gate. To the east is a further lawn surrounded by shrubs with a path to a door through the wall. There is a mown path around the pond with trees and shrubs.

Location

Pond Cottage has an extraordinary setting overlooking its own square pond, with the River Forth just beyond. There are neighbouring houses to the east but it is backed by woodland with playing fields to the west side.

The Fife Coastal Path is in front and links into the village running alongside the disused railway track. A footpath loops around Preston Island which is a man-made island which was used for salt production in the 19th Century. The reclaimed land, no longer an island, is now part of the Torry Bay nature reserve and the artificial lagoons are a haven for wintering birds.

Culross is acknowledged as one of the most picturesque villages in Scotland. The National Trust for Scotland describe it as Scotland’s most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries. White-harled houses with red-tiled roofs line the steep cobbled streets which run from the market cross to the hilltop abbey. In the centre is the ochre-coloured Culross Palace with its original painted woodwork and beautifully restored 17th and 18th century interiors. It is set in a beautifully reconstructed period garden, complete with herbs, fruit and vegetables.

The house is centrally located being 5 miles from the Kincardine Bridge and 8 miles from Dunfermline. Inverkeithing Station is 11 miles. Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling are all within 32 miles. All mileages are approximates.

Square Footage: 2,626 sq ft


Acreage: 1.55 Acres

Directions

Pond Cottage is to the east of Culross off the Low Causeway road which links the village to the B9037. Leaving the village it is the first property on the right after the playing fields, set behind a high stone wall.

Additional Info

Note: In accordance with the Estate Agents Act 1979 (section 21), we wish to inform prospective buyers of this property that the seller is connected to an employee of Savills.

Viewings: Strictly by appointment with Savills - .

Solicitor: Chris Inglis at Kerr Stirling Solicitors, Falkirk. Email:

Services: Mains water, electricity gas and drainage. Central heating and hot water from gas fired boiler.

Local Authority & tax band: Pond Cottage is Fife Council tax band G.

Pond Cottage, the pond and walls are listed category C and are within the Culross Conservation Area.

Fixtures & Fittings: All fitted curtains, carpets, blinds, light fittings and integrated white goods are included in the sale.

Others: Please note the fireplace in the sitting room is capped and requires repair and re-instatement.

Photographs: September 2025. Brochure Code: 251105