The above representation of Viewforth, which lies to the east of the Temple at Largo, is based upon the 1854 OS map. The buildings have evolved over the years - with bits added or taken away - but this is how it was captured in the earliest detailed map widely available.  The 1825 advert for the sale of these grounds described the two-storey dwelling house named 'Viewforth' (the largest building in red at the centre) with its dining-room, parlour, kitchen and three bedrooms, plus adjoining stable. The advert also mentioned four small one storey houses, which can all be seen in the illustration. I imagine the whole settlement would have been quite self-sufficient, with vegetables grown, livestock kept and fish caught. There was a well to the east side.

The period when Viewforth (or Largo Pans) was a salt works is well-documented in the book 'Largo - An Illustrated History' by Eunson and Band.  It places the origins of the works at 1759. The household account book of Lady Janet Anstruther lists 'salt from Largo' among the items purchased for the household between 1763 and 1770 (alongside such other items as a barrel of herrings, pint of gin, oysters from St Monans and hard biscuit from Leven). Other references to early Viewforth are hard to find but it seems that later in the 18th century salt production ceased and the site become more residential.  The construction and arrival of the railway must have been hugely disruptive to inhabitants of Viewforth as the line cut the original site in two.  Presumably compensation would have been paid for the loss of ground. Just to the east of Viewforth was the 'Strathairly siding' and the 'Viewforth level crossing'.

The photograph below was taken from the beach at the south west corner of the Viewforth site, looking up towards the main dwelling house. The ruined building in the foreground always was incredibly close to the high water mark, and must have witnessed some spectacular storms over the decades, but eventually coastal erosion rendered the houses closest to the sea uninhabitable.  By the late 1940s they were abandoned. The image at the foot of this post shows the remains of the main dwelling house.  It is easy to distinguish the original elements of the building from the later brick addition. Remnants of doors, windows, walls, and a chimney can also be seen. 

The name 'Viewforth' is found in many places around the Firth of Forth, including Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, Leven, Kinghorn and Pittenweem. In the context of Largo, however, 'Viewforth' is the now derelict settlement that sits to the east of the Temple on either side of the disused railway line.  The above image shows the former rail track path looking back towards Lower Largo with remains of Viewforth just visible on either side. The settlement was inhabited for around 200 years and was once known as 'Largo Pans' or simply 'the Pans' owing to its origins as a salt works. The 1825 advert from the 7 July Fife Herald shows the site being sold some time after the demise of the salt industry.

Before long, the main house of Viewforth became a popular place to rent for 'sea-bathing' and leisure.  Of course, it was perfectly positioned for 'getting away from it all' and enjoying proximity to the sea.  Over the next century or so, many would benefit from a stay at Viewforth.  A great example is the painter Hugh Cameron who had a long association with the place.  The Valuation Rolls for 1895 and 1905 find him renting two houses within the Viewforth community - one to reside in and one to use as a studio. Hugh Cameron RSA (1835-1918) was an Edinburgh-based artist who moved to London in 1876 but spent his summer months at Largo Bay, where he was inspired to create many seaside paintings.  For a selection of his work, including several artworks of Largo, follow this link...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/hugh-cameron/paintings/slideshow#/0

The next post will look more closely at the layout of the Viewforth settlement and at what remains of it today.  It would be wonderful to see any photographs of the Viewforth houses while still occupied - or even empty but in a less derelict state. If you have any such images please get in touch using the 'Contact' link on the right hand side.  

Cardy House at the east end of Lower Largo's Main Street, was built in 1871 for David Gillies.  It overlooked the Cardy Net Works which, from its 1867 origins, had quickly become a thriving business.  The impressive villa was ornately decorated inside and out and retained its Victorian décor and furnishings for over a century.  Writing in the mid-1980s, a visitor to Cardy House wrote that "this is surely one of the most evocative houses in Scotland, lived in by several generations of one remarkable family, and to visit it is to step back onto an age quite lost and gone - but not yet entirely, for at Cardy House the Victorian era is perpetuated with an unusual awareness, sense of values and loving care." Details of the visit were published in the book "Scottish Victorian Interiors" edited by Sheila Mackay.  

Outside were sculptures - both in the gardens and on the exterior of the building itself. For example, the sculptured figure of Atlas supporting a globe posed above the main entrance (see image below). A "grey stone sculpture of an Arcadian youth draped in a feline fur" flanked one side of the house.  There was a crouching lion at each gable and a Pompeian youth in the garden. A subterranean passage led from the house, under a public footpath, to the net factory grounds.

The "Scottish Victorian Interiors" book goes on to describe the indoors..."halfway up the red pine staircase which ascends from the front door of Cardy House, the visitor comes face to face with Alexander Selkirk in his goatskins - a huge sombre bust, the only one cast from the statue at the birthplace"..."The landing is a fantastic study in sepia: dark wooden bannisters, dark panelling, an immense wooden chest, Victorian paintings closely hung on hand decorated walls.  A paraffin lamp with the white globe lit to show the family to bed still stands in the bracket fixed to the bannister rail. On the chest stands a musical box, and Victorian plants sprout from Victorian china pots in Victorian plant holders."

The hand-decorated walls were part of a redecoration done around 1890 to designs by James Darling of Edinburgh. The ornamental plasterwork on the ceilings was designed and painted by two travelling Italian artists, according to the 1982 book "Seatoun of Largo" by Ivy Jardine.  The Victorian fittings, furniture and all-manner of possessions are well-documented elsewhere and are too numerous to mention here, however, I'll finish with a final quote from "Scottish Victorian Interiors"...

"The doors have kept their porcelain handles and finger-plates.  The house bells, pulled by hand, still ring in the kitchen below, and although no one is there to answer, their leisurely jangle is like an echo from a bygone age."

Although Cardy House has now moved onto a new chapter in its history, the fact that it was preserved as a 'time capsule' for so long and was so well-documented and photographed during that time, means that future generations will always have a fascinating insight into Largo history that they may never otherwise have had. If you have memories of Cardy House or visited there during one of the many occasions when its doors were generously opened to the local folks, please comment.