Nostalgia: Looking back on area near Dunfermline Public Park

The first two postcards show Couston Street. According to JM Webster’s book ‘Dunfermline Abbey’: ‘Couston Street was possibly named after the lands of Couston which belonged to Robert of Rosyth, and were thirled to the Mill of Aberdour.

That is to say, those who farmed the lands of Couston had to get all their grinding done at this mill and no other, and settle with the miller for his dues.

Couston Street in Dunfermline (Image: Contributed) Further east was Transy Farm, one of Dunfermline’s oldest dairy farms which also operated as a strawberry farm at one stage. The name Transy alludes to the description for this area, 'Transylvania', which can be seen on old maps.

So-called long before the story of Dracula was penned, the name’s origin has its roots in Latin, meaning ‘across or beyond the woods’ as Garvock Hill was at one time covered in ancient forest.

Timber from there was later used in rebuilding much of Dunfermline that was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1624 as described by Daniel Thomson in ‘The Weavers Craft’: ’After the fire we gathered our subscriptions and went on with vigour rebuilding the town. The burgesses might then be seen, from morning to night, cutting down the Garvock woods and shaping the trunks and branches into couples and rafters, while wrights and joiners sawed and planed, and put together the doors and floors and fronts and windows.

Within four years we had re-erected our burned-out schools, houses and dwellings’.

Our next photograph shows a painting of Transy Pond by noteable local painter Alan Ronald, Head Art Teacher at Queen Anne School before it became a High School.

A painting of Transy Pond by noteable local painter Alan Ronald. (Image: Contributed)

The pond stood at the entrance to the estate where the roundabout is at the junction of Halbeath Road and Garvock Hill before it was later filled in. The pond, which later became covered in green algae, evokes strong memories in people such as Martin Moyes: “Transy Swamp…I remember it during the build around St John’s Drive during the ‘80’s.

Loads of stories about horses and children drowning…hopefully not true but kept us away (well kind of) as children”.

Likewise Graeme Lister: “Great place to adventure as kids. I remember going past there and down past an abandoned tennis court in the woods behind Couston Street then coming out near the big house with the bridge that’s now the school”.

Annie Jeffcock adds: “I used to walk through Transy to church when I was a kid. It was a great walk until I reached that pond when I took off like a rocket past it. It scared me as though I was going to be dragged in it”.

Our final photograph shows three youngsters ice skating on the pond, Gordon Hill, Mabel Easson and David Fernie.

Three youngsters, Gordon Hill, Mabel Easson and David Fernie, ice skating on the pond. (Image: Contributed) More photographs like these can be seen in Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries and also at facebook.com/olddunfermline’.

With thanks to Frank Connelly.