Windygates

Windygates is a small district in central Fife, Scotland.

It encompasses the villages hamlets and estates of Wellsgreen Farm, Little Lun Farm, Woodbank Farm, The Maw (a former farming community), Cameron, Isabella, Smithyhill, Cameronbridge, Bridgend, Durie Estate, Duniface Farm, Haughmill (a former weaving community), Drumcaldie, The Meetings (Confluence of Rivers Leven and Ore), Bankhead of Balcurvie, Fernhill, Fernbank (both former farms), Balcurvie Village (a former weaving community), Little Balcurvie, Hawthorn Bank, Kennowayburns and Windygates Village itself. Housing demands of the 20th century brought all of these, almost forgotten identities, together into a district now commonly known as Windygates.

Today 'Windygates' is situated along the A911 road after its sister village Milton of Balgonie, the A915 after 'Grahams Folly' Wood and the A916 after Kennoway.

Each part of Windygates has, to a native, its own distinction;

• Wellsgreen Farm is now a golfing range but has kept its distance from Windygates with only a few locals knowing it belongs to the district. It was once a busy farm with a thriving community which would have either commuted to Windygates or East Wemyss for its amenities
• Little Lun Farm is still used as a farm. Its buildings are listed at Grade B standard
• Woodbank, similar to Little Lun, is still a farm and has kept its identity.
• The Maw, has been levelled and is now agricultural land it was simply a row of coal miner's cottages on part of the Standing Stane Road which has been by-passed by the Windygates by-pass. Balcurvie Public School Logs mention The Maw at one point having a population of 60 persons (approx)
• Cameron is mainly a farming estate situated on the Percival Road leading to Buckhaven
• Isabella has no dwellings but the site of an old mine shaft in the Cameron estate marks its existence
• Smithyhill Cottages are located opposite Cameron Hospital. Evidence suggests this may have been part of The Maw in the past.
• Cameronbridge is simply the area around the many bridges that have gradually moved east to cross the River Leven - with the oldest built by Cardinal James Beaton in the 16th century and the newest by Fife Council in 1993. It was also the site of 'Cameronbridge' train station
• Bridgend used to be a small estate which centred around Bridgend House, a Gothic style mansion. The site is marked by the street name Bridgend Gardens and its original gate pillars found at the bottom of the street.
• Durie estate. This ancient seat is still inhabited by 'The Christys of Durie'
• Duniface Farm is still separate from the village and is found behind the trees on Leven Road
• Haughmill was a large weaving village which had, at one time, a population of nearly 100. Boys and Girls from Balcurvie Public School gained apprenticeships here
• Drumcaldie used to be a distillery. It remains rural and separate from Windygates Village
• The Meetings is literally the area where the two rivers (Ore and Leven) meet
• Bankhead of Balcurvie is a freestanding farmhouse/estate which looks over the whole district
• Fernhill and Fernbank used to be green fields which separated Windygates and Balcurvie Villages. They now are the site of 20th century housing.
• Balcurvie Village is quite different to Windygates Village. It still possesses a rural feel with its one meandering street. Some weaving cottages exist and add to its character. It is also the site of 'wells green' a common land with a well which provides a source of water and space for washing lines for the villagers to launder their weekly wash. Some villagers tether their goats and cattle here to graze. Opposite this are the 'lint holes' dug-outs which fill with spring water to soak flax for the weavers to make linen. It is above Windygates on sea level terms and therefore has good views over South Fife. Many say it feels more like Star of Markinch and such like villages since it older. Balcurvie School used to be in Balcurvie (at the foot of its hill) but when it was deemed unusable, it moved to Windygates but kept the name (a preliminary mistake in merging and blurring each village's characteristics^{[citation needed]}).
• Little Balcurvie now incorporates Agricultural Small Holdings and places such as Mount Zion and Balcurvie House (the former estate house for Balcurvie Estate)
• Hawthorn Bank is an area at the end of the Balcurvie access road which has completely lost its rural identity
• Kennowayburns marks the boundary of Windygates District and Markinch Parish with Kennoway District and Kennoway Parish. It is from here that you can see 'Maiden Castle' (a small tree capped hill) This site was of some archaealogical interest in the early 20th Century.
• Windygates Village itself is and always was the cornerstone for the district's development. It was here that the Houstons built a hotel and successful coaching business which brought people to Windygates.

The latest village establishment, Pump Palace is being run by Gareth Whelan under his alias Papa Pump. It's a haunt many a party will take place in the wee small hours wehn other pubs have closed down their lock inns

• Hometown of the legend that is Alan Watson, future TV reality star and proud son of Anne Watson. Born January 1982 Alan is a true Windygates legend, he can often be found in the village public house called The Auld Hoose, where he is a regular on the Karaoke. Alan's specialist songs are gangster rap and he loves nothing more than a chick flick on weekends with his fiance

The post office, church, shops, village hall, and (since 1876) school are all to be found in Windygates which now possesses a quirky character beside its larger-than-life neighbouring towns (Leven, Kennoway, Buckhaven and Methil)

Sources

• Scottish Places