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Lost Buildings of Drummochy

3/3/2023

2 Comments

 
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The above photograph was captured by John Patrick the Buckhaven-born photographer. The image dates to around 1870, by which time Patrick had moved his photography business from Leven to Kirkcaldy. The photograph may have been commissioned in connection with the sale of the Lundin Estate at the time, as a visual indication of the boundary between the Lundin estate and the Largo estate. Drummochy to the left (west) of the Keil Burn fell within the Lundin estate. Note that at this time a couple of houses still featured thatched roofs.
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In the 'then and now' pair of images above, the half-thatched building to the right of Drummochy House (the tallest house with bay windows in the newer image) has been replaced with garages. For a time, the space where the old house once stood was a gap site. The photograph below shows that in that space there was a distinctive statue - the bust of a man on a plinth. 

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It seems likely that the demolition of the old half-thatched house coincided with the construction of Burnbrae Terrace, pictured above, built for Benjamin Philp (who died in 1892). In fact several old buildings in Drummochy have been lost since the mid-1850s when the railway arrived in Largo. While many new homes were built to the north of the railway line - along Woodlands Road as well as at Burnbrae Terrace (to the left of the word 'viaduct' on the map below) - all the homes circled in red on the lower map had disappeared by 1912.

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Among the changes were the replacement of two ruinous cottages on feu number 40 with the detached villa 'Fernbank'. The photograph below shows the contrast between the remaining older houses at the lower level and the new villas of Woodlands Road at the top, and 'Fernbank' in the centre.
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Other lost buildings are the dark coloured ones to the left of centre in the background of the George Washington Wilson photograph below. Remains of the old walls of these structures can still be seen at the site on Cellar Brae by the benches. The tall building looks virtually identical Drummochy House being the same height, design and orientation. The modern day aerial image at the foot of this post shows the continued evolution of this area on both sides of the burn, with many old buildings replaced and gap sites filled, including some across the former path of the railway line, the old gas works and the former mill site.

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2 Comments
John Band
3/3/2023 08:52:37 am

The George Washington Wilson photograph showing the lost houses at the bottom of the Cellar Braes also shows the house adjoining Drummochy House is a mostly roofless state. The Fife Herald 20th May 1885 describes a serious fire in a house in Drummochy were an old blind man by the name of James Gilles resided in the upper floor. The lower floor being used by Mrs Swan, grocer as a store. At the time barrels of Paraffin oil were amongst the goods stored and Mrs Swan raised the alarm. Folks tried to get the old man out but he stated "I sis born here and I will dee here". He bolted back into the house but was eventually pulled to safety. Leven Fire Brigade were summoned, but by the time they arrived the roof had collapsed. There was a plentifull supply of water as the tide was in at the time and the brigade managed to contain the fire to the property.

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John Band
3/3/2023 09:00:44 am

The site where the two cottages were removed adjoining Drummochy House was replaced by the new garages and house (set back behind the garages) in the early to mid 1970's The house and garages were built by Mr & Mrs Brown. Mrs Brown was my primary school teacher at Kirkton of Largo School. Christine Brown being the daughter of Mr Stebbing who was the chemist at Lundin Links for many years. The garage adjoining Drummochy House is part of Drummochy House property.

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