The Two Schools

This slightly grainy 1980s aerial photograph shows both the old and new Lundin Mill Primary Schools (marked with red arrows).  The 1850s built school on the left is surrounded on all sides by housing, although it would have been open space to the south when first built.  The new school (to the right) has much more grassy open space around it.  The tree-lined Keil Burn runs close by to the north and east.  The present school is also sited more centrally between Lundin Links and Lower Largo - the two main villages which it serves.  As the present school is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, past pupils and staff are invited to contribute memories, photos, etc to be shown at planned events, see East Fife Mail article for details...

http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/local-headlines/lundin-mil-celebrates-landmark-occasion-1-3383467

Times have changed greatly and the design of the existing school is very different to the old.  Originally, at the Crescent Road School, boys and girls would have had separate entrances and separate playgrounds.  The diagram shows how the layout of the old school grounds used to be.  The numbers represent the following:

1. Schoolhouse          2. School Master's House
3. Front Entrance      4. Rear Entrance from vennel
5. Boys Playground  6. Girl's Playground

A wall would have divided the two playground zones and each area had its own toilet block and bike shed.  The school master's house would have been internally connected to the school itself.

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Of course neither of these buildings was the original school.  A school existed in the old village of Emsdorf before the building of Crescent Road took place.  The wash-house of the house called 'Sea Cliff' on Emsdorf Road had a stone on the gable with 'Emsdorf School" engraved on it.  Old schools also existed in Lower Largo - initially at the Temple and then in what is now the Durham Hall.