Temple was originally a separate village, set apart from the rest of the Seatoun of Largo. This postcard image captures the idea of the village as its own entity. The space between Temple and the Cardy Works, which lay at the east end of Seatoun of Largo, was a bleaching green known as Temple Green (now a car park). However, by the start of the 1900s it was clear that Temple would benefit from better connectivity with its close neighbour. The Courier of 8 July 1901, in reporting the highlights of the Largo Parish Council meeting, states that "The offer of Mr Strachan to form a road 20 feet wide, with a 3 feet concrete footpath from Cardy House gate to the Temple was accepted."
Early in the following year, things were progressing as the Evening Telegraph on 6 March described that the Parish Council had received letters from proprietors "agreeing to allow the new road to be made through their gardens at the Temple". The Council was to renounce all claims to the two old roads but at least some parts of the existing roads were to be re-formed and metalled. It was thought that the "road to the depot" could be made serviceable by "carting away the loose surface and lowering the brae, and thus save the expense of a tramway."
The new road was duly built in 1903 but some controversy still remained, with two individuals raising an action against the Parish Council, claiming that the new road had been built on their property without consent. The 6 October Courier in 1903 elaborated that:
"the pursuers say that, without their knowledge or consent, the Largo Parish Council formed a new public road through the portion of ground forming part of the bleaching green of the Temple of Strathairly, and that the said piece of ground is their private and exclusive property. The Parish Council allege that the ground in question forms part of the old bleaching green of Strathairly, which was appropriated to the use of the feuers of Strathairly as a bleaching green and for other public purposes generally. The pursuer's agent admitted that the ancient boundaries were difficult to determine."
The case appears to have been dropped and the road still follows the same course today.
Early in the following year, things were progressing as the Evening Telegraph on 6 March described that the Parish Council had received letters from proprietors "agreeing to allow the new road to be made through their gardens at the Temple". The Council was to renounce all claims to the two old roads but at least some parts of the existing roads were to be re-formed and metalled. It was thought that the "road to the depot" could be made serviceable by "carting away the loose surface and lowering the brae, and thus save the expense of a tramway."
The new road was duly built in 1903 but some controversy still remained, with two individuals raising an action against the Parish Council, claiming that the new road had been built on their property without consent. The 6 October Courier in 1903 elaborated that:
"the pursuers say that, without their knowledge or consent, the Largo Parish Council formed a new public road through the portion of ground forming part of the bleaching green of the Temple of Strathairly, and that the said piece of ground is their private and exclusive property. The Parish Council allege that the ground in question forms part of the old bleaching green of Strathairly, which was appropriated to the use of the feuers of Strathairly as a bleaching green and for other public purposes generally. The pursuer's agent admitted that the ancient boundaries were difficult to determine."
The case appears to have been dropped and the road still follows the same course today.
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