Buckthorns Poultry Farm

22/7/2016

In a recent post, I speculated over what the many huts were visible beyond The Temple at Lower Largo around the 1940s. Well, thanks to some comments from blog readers and some further research, I can confirm that these huts housed poultry as part of Buckthorns Farm. The above image marks the hen huts and the site of the Viewforth houses on each side of the railway line. The extract from the 1950 valuation roll for the area (below) shows both the Buckthorns Poultry Farm and the other houses at Viewforth. By this stage the two houses closest to the sea had been condemned ('Viewforth B' above). Viewforth of course is a very old site that once was the location of a salt works.

Amazingly, even plans for the 'hen and duck houses' could be found on-line. The plan shown below was dated 1910, so poultry must have been kept on the site for upwards of forty years! The photographs at the foot of this post show the Viewforth site as it is today.

5 Comments

Diane

27/1/2017 06:07:14 am

Viewforth B was still occupied by an old fisherman and his wife in the 1940s before the later and ongoing coastal erosion.

We used to go to the poultry farm during WW2 to buy off ration eggs!

Pamela Mcculloch

30/1/2021 06:10:15 am

The Venters owned the house to the left (2nd last picture) and my Great Aunt & Uncle Pete & Grace Blyth owned the smaller house to the left. The smaller house was used as a summer house whilst they rented out their own house Brayside on Emsdorf Road (last house on left name now changed).

Frazer Venters

2/12/2021 03:16:48 pm

Andrew Venters was my Grandfather. My Father, Tom Venters (Tommy, Tam or Big Tam), grew up in Viewforth B, affectionately known as “The Pans” in my family. My Father was one of 7, John, Harry, Andrew, Jimmy, Tommy, Kathleen and Alex. The Pans, name incidentally refers to it’s history as a salt Pans. My Grandparents moved to 68 Station Park, in the late 40’s when The Pans was declared uninhabitable I guess, my Dad never really mentioned much about that move and why etc. he would have been away by this time probably working the trawlers in Aberdeen. My Uncle Andrew also lived with them at 68. They all remained there until their deaths. I have many fond memories of Lower largo and surrounding areas growing up in the 70’s. My Uncle Harry lived at No1 Station Park, with my Auntie Ella. Ella worked in the Village Grocers, VG Stores in the 70s I think, she was a lovely woman, from Cupar originally. Harry worked at the pit, I think he was a deputy at Seafield eventually. They lived their lives out at No1 also. I don’t know much about John and Andrew, I think they were black sheep I think. If anyone is interested in the rest of the Venters, please feel free to ask. Most of them are buried in Upper Largo Cemetry….sadly.
I don’t know much about my Grandparents either, which surprises me. I grew up with my Dad regaling me with stories about life growing up on Largo Bay in the 30’s and 40’s. My Grandmother was a Catherine Callaghan, a hospital nurse at the time of her marriage to my grandfather Andrew. Andrew, I believe was a Leven man, Venters was a well known name in the area during the early part of the 20th Century and certainly 19th c. He fought in both WW1 and WW2. That is pretty much it. I have heard tales that he had actually enjoyed a certain amount of success as a coal merchant, or he had or had a healthy interest in some open cast pit near Largo Law? Again, not sure. His Brother played for Glasgow Rangers and was also capped for Scotland (maybe Uncle). I have been led to believe he fell on hard times. I know they were related to the Fisher family of Lower Largo by marriage too. It was the Fishers who lived in Viewforth A during that time.
Cardy House was lived in for a time by some great friends of my Father, during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Capt Jim Ramsey and his wife Phil.
I could go on and on. I would very much like to hear from anyone with information on my Grandparents or indeed from anyone who knew of the Venters Family. I was born in Newcastle, my Dad eventually settled in Northumberland in the late 60’s. My elder brother and sister Gregor and Fiona were both Born in St Andrews and lived in Upper Largo with my Mother in the late 50’s/early 60’s.
Thank you for being interested enough to read.

3/12/2021 04:50:48 am

We also know it as “The Pans” , My mum remembers your family well.

Christopher T Venters-Anderson

30/12/2022 05:31:54 pm

One of the most, proudly written pieces I've read for a long time.

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Buckthorns Poultry Farm

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