Drum Lodge on the sea-facing side of Drummochy Road dates back to the late 18th century and the days of the salt pans. Originally, there were large grounds associated with Drum Lodge (or Drummochie House as it was once known). This included extensive gardens immediately around the house (plot 36 on the 1850s feuing map below) plus 'park land' or 'meadow' to the south and east (plot 37 on the map).
The circa 1900 photo above shows the tree-lined park/meadow in the background to the right of centre. This space was occasionally used for public events. The advert below is for an evangelical tent mission which took place in June 1901. This tent held 300 people and hosted a series of meetings which were "well filled". Mr Galletly was described in the 13 June Leven Advertiser as a "vigorous speaker" whose "addresses seldom fail to draw his hearers back again".
In 1899, Andrew Peebles had purchased Drum Lodge. He had invested in property in his native Largo for many years while working as a factor on estates in England and his interest in property development continued after he retired to Lundin Links. In 1908, the meadow owned by Peebles was feued and developed by local builder Walter Horne, who had already played a significant part in the development of Lower Largo and Lundin Links. The article below from the 21 Oct 1908 Leven Advertiser explains that the Drum Park scheme would fulfil "the great ambition of the city dweller is to have a summer holiday near the sea".
The execution of the scheme was slightly delayed by issues around drainage at the site. The Leven Advertiser of 13 Jan 1909 below explains that the council had some difficulties resolving the problem before agreeing to put in a new pipe on the foreshore.
In fact what became Drum Lodge Park (later shortened to Drum Park) was built in two phases. The east half of the development came first and was ready for the summer season of 1909. The 31 March 1909 Leven Advertiser noted that:
"Mr Walter Horne is to be congratulated on his latest addition to the house property of Drummochy. On the space to the east of Drum Lodge he has erected eight very fine dwellings. The houses are situated within a few yards of the high water mark and are sure to be well let during the summer months. The mason work is completed and the houses are in such a forward state as to indicate that they will be in the pink of condition at the height of the visitors' season."
Later that year, on 17 Nov 1909, the Leven Advertiser mentions "further building being started in Drum Park" and by the summer of 1910 these additional eight houses were complete. Many of the sixteen dwellings had been purchased by Edinburgh residents. The local papers of 1910 contain lists of 'summer visitors' and most of the Drum Park properties were filled by families from either the capital city or from Glasgow.
The postcard image below shows only the east half of the scheme in place (comprising eight dwellings). Further below is a photograph showing the whole development soon after completion. Finally, there is a more recent image that shows Drum Park largely unchanged since its early days, aside from a few minor alterations to dormer windows and extra reinforcement of sea defences.
"Mr Walter Horne is to be congratulated on his latest addition to the house property of Drummochy. On the space to the east of Drum Lodge he has erected eight very fine dwellings. The houses are situated within a few yards of the high water mark and are sure to be well let during the summer months. The mason work is completed and the houses are in such a forward state as to indicate that they will be in the pink of condition at the height of the visitors' season."
Later that year, on 17 Nov 1909, the Leven Advertiser mentions "further building being started in Drum Park" and by the summer of 1910 these additional eight houses were complete. Many of the sixteen dwellings had been purchased by Edinburgh residents. The local papers of 1910 contain lists of 'summer visitors' and most of the Drum Park properties were filled by families from either the capital city or from Glasgow.
The postcard image below shows only the east half of the scheme in place (comprising eight dwellings). Further below is a photograph showing the whole development soon after completion. Finally, there is a more recent image that shows Drum Park largely unchanged since its early days, aside from a few minor alterations to dormer windows and extra reinforcement of sea defences.
RSS Feed
