Crail, Marketgate. View from south west.

Description Crail, Marketgate. View from south west.

Date c. 1885

Collection Papers of Erskine Beveridge, antiquarian, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 739249

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of F 1917

Scope and Content Tolbooth, Marketgate, Crail, Fife, from the north-west The Tolbooth, situated on a island site at the south-west corner of Marketgate, was built in the 16th century as the seat of civic power in the burgh. The tower, with its distinctive pagoda-like spire, is a stolid landmark in the centre of the town. The Scottish photographer, Erskine Beveridge, photographed the building on a visit to Crail c.1885. The tolbooth has a main rectangular block (left) which was extensively rebuilt in 1814-15, and houses the council chamber on the first floor. The tower, at the south-west end, has a lower part constructed of large coursed blocks dating from the 16th century, and two diminishing ashlar upper stages which were added in 1776. The slated spire with its dormer belfry-openings probably dates from the same time. The doorway, by local architect, John Currie, was built in 1887. The tolbooth or town hall was originally built to serve the town as council chamber, guard-house, courthouse, tax office and prison cells. The tower houses a fine Flemish bell, made in 1520, which was removed from the parish church in 1702 in exchange for the smaller town bell of 1614, because of the more central position of the tolbooth. It rang the curfew for the town each night at 10 o'clock. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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