Leven town map - Ronald P A Smith Street Plans

Find your way around Leven, Fife

FIRST THINGS FIRST! The best way of finding your way around the Burgh of Leven is to purchase a copy of Ronald P A Smith's Leven/Buckhaven/Methil/Kennoway Street Plan, available from local bookshops, newsagents and petrol filling stations. This map was one of the first in the present series of nearly 100 maps, having been first produced in 1983 and now in colour and in its 15th edition. At the large scale of 6 inches to 1 mile (1:10,000), it is still the most detailed map of its kind available; the only one with comprehensive indexes and locations of places of interest; leisure facilities; schools; places of worship; health and welfare facilities; and other information including the local footpath network and locations of industrial estates, emergency services, etc.

As well as Leven, Methil, Buckhaven and Kennoway, the street map covers Methilhill and Windygates. To order by post direct from the publisher, please click on the 'Map Ordering' button on the left.

BURGH OF LEVEN

The town of Leven, along with the adjoining communities of Methil and Buckhaven, is the fourth largest urban area in Fife, located right on the boundary between the county's industrial west and rural east. In 2001, Leven's population was 8,051, while Methil/Buckhaven had 16,391 residents (a big decrease since the 1960s). All three towns are beautifully situated at the west end of Largo Bay on the northern shores of the Firth of Forth, but port and colliery development about a century ago deprived Methil and Buckhaven of their sandy shores (for more information about these towns, as available, please click on the relevant buttons to the left).

Leven itself has a long history as a seaport at the mouth of the River Leven, but this role was overtaken by Methil Docks many years ago. It became a burgh of barony in 1609 and a self-governing 'police burgh' in 1867. The town has, for many years, been a popular holiday resort featuring a sandy beach, caravan sites, golf courses and pleasant parks. It also makes an excellent touring centre for the East Neuk of Fife with its picturesque fishing communities.

Leven has a good shopping centre with a fairly wide range of shops, both multiple stores and long-established local businesses (although some, such as Wilkie's shoe shop, have been lost). The High Street, (shown on right) was pedestrianised several years ago, and its paving, etc have had a complete 'makeover' since. The town is fortunate to possess a modern swimming pool at the Shorehead which is, along with the nearby bus station, located on the site of the town's harbour. After a long period of relative stagnation when little new development took place in the town, an encouraging amount of private house-building is now taking place, the good sales figures giving some indication of Leven's true popularity as an excellent place to live.

Places of Interest

Town Centre - Leven was once notable for its labyrinth of narrow streets. but, although much opened out in the name of progress, there are still some attractive corners. A notable curiosity was the assemblage of shell decorated buildings and objects known as the 'Shell House' in its garden setting at the corner of the Promenade and Seagate. Although the site is now occupied by a bungalow, the shell-encrusted chimney stack and wall in Seagate, shown in the photograph on the left, serve as a reminder of glories past!

Old Scoonie Parish Church - Leven's oldest building is the remaining fragment of the Old Scoonie Parish Church, dating possibly from the 12th century, and now used as a burial enclosure within the oldest part of Scoonie Cemetery. Close by are a number of interesting gravestones, chiefly that of the family of Thomas Gourlay who died in 1641, which is carved with skeleton and skulls.

Leven Mercat Cross - Within the grounds of Carberry House, for long the seat of Leven Town Council and now Fife Council offices, stands the reconstructed Leven Town Cross. Probably dating from the 17th century, it is of somewhat unusual design, having many of the characteristics of a sundial.

Leven Parish Church - The replacement for the ancient kirk in Scoonie Cemetery stands close to the town centre in Durie Street. Although greatly altered in 1822 and 1901-04, it retains its steeple of 1775, the octagonal spire of which resembles that of St Cuthbert's Parish Church in Edinburgh. The church has an impressive interior and good stained glass.

St Margaret's Episcopal Church - Leven's other church of particular architectural interest is St Margaret's Church in Victoria Road which dates from 1879-80. Featuring a conical-roofed steeple and hammerdressed masonry on the outside, its interior is noteworthy for its fine timber 'wagon' roof, its stained glass and its marble and alabaster altarpiece.

Parks and Open Spaces

Letham Glen - Leven has long been renowned for the quality of its parks, principally Letham Glen on the northern outskirts of the town. The Glen, once locally known as 'Spinkie Den', contains pleasant wooded walks along the banks of the Scoonie Burn and floral displays which are a riot of colour in spring and summer. For many, the main attraction used to be its 'Pets Corner' or 'Animal Centre', which included a range of birds and furry animals of much interest to children - now a thing of the past unfortunately. In the early years of last century, Letham Glen was the location of an outdoor swimming pool; later, the site of the pool was converted into a sunken garden which still remains as an attractive feature of the park.

Silverburn Park - This public park, initially developed in the last days of Leven's status as an independent burgh, remains as a monument to the outstanding abilities of the town's last parks superintendent. Over the last 25 years, its gardens have matured beautifully from the early days portrayed in the picture, and are complemented by a mini farm, again of particular interest to children, and a small pond. The vehicular access is from the main Leven-Lundin Links Road, but perhaps the best method of approach is via the footpaths leading over the 'bing' from the town, affording fine views over the golf courses and Largo Bay (see photograph below right).

Golf Courses - Leven is fortunate to possess two 18-hole golf courses. Leven Links, as its name suggests, is a 'links' course, beautifully situated by the sands of Largo Bay as shown in the photograph. It is a long-established course of open championship qualifying standard and is the home base of two golf clubs - the Leven Golfing Society and the Leven Thistle Golf Club. Further inland is the Scoonie Golf Course, a municipal course with which the Scoonie Golf Club is associated.

R P A Smith's local map also covers Methil, Buckhaven, Kennoway and Windygates. Further information on the the history of Methil is available by clicking the relevant button on the upper left.

January 2008

R P A Smith's range of Street Plans covers the following towns and villages in Central and East Fife:

ANSTRUTHER
Auchtermuchty
BUCKHAVEN
Cellardyke
Ceres

Coaltown of Wemyss
Crail
CUPAR
Dairsie
Dysart
Earlsferry
East Wemyss
Elie
Falkland
GLENROTHES
KENNOWAY
Kilrenny
Kingskettle
KIRKCALDY
Ladybank
LESLIE
LEVEN
Lower Largo
Lundin Links
MARKINCH
METHIL
Methilhill
Pittenweem
ST ANDREWS
St Monans
Springfield
Strathkinness
Upper Largo
West Wemyss
Windygates

� 2008 - Ronald P A Smith