History in Ladybank Online

Brief History of Ladybank

Before the 12th century Ladybank was known as Moss of Monegae and was used as a peat-cutting area by the monks of Lindores Abbey who called it ‘Our Lady Bog'. It was vey marshy with a Loch and remained this way until drainage and burns were built in the mid 18th century. 'Lady's Bog' was changed to ‘Ladybank' when the railway station was being planned in the 1840s.

Today the only memorial to the holy brothers of Lindores is ‘Monkstown', the district alongside the B938, and the only part of the village to pre-date the railway construction of the late 1840s.

Before the railway the village had no buildings of any great age and the railway gave the village a great boost. The town was made a burgh in 1878 and was noted for its linen and maltings. (Ladybank Maltings were demolished in 1986).

The town's parish church was built in 1874-76 and Ladybank Pumping Station, in Beeches Road dates from 1908. Liberal Prime Minister from 1908-1916, and MP for East Fife H.H Asquith, made many of his great speeches in Ladybank Masonic Hall - a plaque at the Masonic Hall commemorates the 50th anniversary of Asquith's entrance to parliament in 1886.

The largest house in the area is Crawford Priory, set within its own wooded estate which once held a deer park. Built in 1813 by Lady Mary Lindsay Crawford the house is Gothic in style, reflecting her interest in things medieval. A noted eccentric, Lady Mary died in 1833 leaving behind an elaborate gravestone near the Priory stables for her pet deer. The Priory has stood empty and sadly neglected since the death of Lord Cochrane of Cults who lived in the there until 1951. Today it is today a shell of its former glory.

The Past Through Poetry

Robbie Kennedy Bennett whose father, Cecil Kennedy Bennet, was born in Collessie and grew up in Ladybank, has written a number of poems about his family's history and his affection for Ladybank in particular. Check out ‘I should have played for Ladybank Violet' and ‘This Public Bar in Ladybank' (aka the Tavern). Read more of Rob's poetry at www.rkbpoetry.co.uk

Extracts from ‘Villages of Fife', 2002, Raymond Lamont-Brown; ‘Fife in History & Legend', 2002, Raymond Lamont-Brown.