Pricing Change
New pricing for orders of material from this site will come into place shortly. Charges for supply of digital images, digitisation on demand, prints and licensing will be altered.
Scheduled Maintenance Notice
Please be advised that this website will undergo scheduled maintenance starting on Thursday, 30th January at 11:00 AM and will last until Friday, 31st January at 10:00 AM.
During this time, the site and certain functions may be partially or fully unavailable. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Anstruther Wester, Chesterhill
Castle (Medieval), Cist(S) (Period Unassigned), Mound (Period Unassigned), Well (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Anstruther Wester, Chesterhill
Classification Castle (Medieval), Cist(S) (Period Unassigned), Mound (Period Unassigned), Well (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 34193
Site Number NO50SE 8
NGR NO 5624 0337
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/34193
- Council Fife
- Parish Anstruther Wester
- Former Region Fife
- Former District North East Fife
- Former County Fife
NO50SE 8 5624 0337.
The Statistical Account (OSA) describes a large mound, called Chesterhill, at the W end of Anstruther Wester. Wood, stating that it is supposed to be partly artificial, locates it to "near the railway station, on the N side of the road". This may be incorrect, the name "Chesterhill" appearing at NO 5624 0337, S of the road, on OS 6" 1854. The Ordnance Survey Name Book (ONB 1854) states that it applied to "two or three houses, situated on a small eminence", and adds that traditionally, there was a "camp" here, but no trace of it now remains. The OSA (1792, J Forester) mentions a fine well in the middle of Chesterhill, and Armitage considers this "absolute proof that this was the site of a castle" adding that the "Mothlaw" of Anstruther is mentioned in 1590 (Reg Magni Sig Reg Scot 1590).
The OSA states that two or three years before 1792, when digging the foundations for a house on the side of Chesterhill, "two skeletons were found not far from each other. They were enclosed in a kind of coffin consisting of a large stone at each end and side."
W Wood 1887; E S Armitage 1912
The site of Chesterhill mound is now built over.
RCAHMS 1933, visited 1925
The area indicated is now built over and there is no trace of any artificial work. Nothing further is known of the cists.
Visited by OS (JP) 29 May 1974
Field Visit (9 July 1925)
Chesterhill Mound.
The site is at the west end of the town and is now occupied by buildings. The Statistical Account records that, on digging in the sides of the mound, two skeletons were found enclosed in coffins consisting of large stones set on end.
RCAHMS 1933, visited 9 July 1925.
