Inverkeithing

NT18SW 2.00 13 82.

(Extends from NT 1307 8255, NT 1282 8278, NT 1293 9308, NT 1318 8307 to NT 1328 8288).

NT18SW 2.01 NT 1323 8296 Gateway

NT18SW 2.02 NT 1305 8308 Gateway

NT18SW 2.03 NT 1285 8284 Gateway

NT18SW 2.04 NT 1289 8273 Gateway

In February, 1557, the inhabitants of Inverkeithing were charged "to big dikes and fowseis and to have stafe slungis in the reddinesc to the portis thairof" (Lord High Treasurer Accounts, X, 336) (stafe slungis = a kind of catapult.)

There is no earlier record of the walls, although in 1503 it was decreed that the ports should be of lime and stone (Acts Parl Scot).

Traces of the walls probably remained until the 18th century. Defoe (1769) described Inverkeithing as "an ancient walled town". Sir T Cave, in his diary for 1763, speaks of the "little town of Inverkeithing, once walled round (gates still standing) as all these coast-towns have anciently been.

W Stephen 1921

After quoting the 1557 reference again. Stephan adds, "At the time or maybe later, stone walls were built. Their line generally appears to have been from the shore at the harbour westward to the South Port (39 SW 2.4) and Roman Road, thence northward along Roman Road by the West Port (39 SW 2.3) to the north west corner of the Old school playground, thence eastward by the North Port (39 SW 2.2) to the Mill Dam, and thence southward by the East Port (39 SW 2.1) to the Burn in the vicinity of the south end of the garden of No. 25 King Street.

In all probability a surviving portion is the high wall on the east side of Roman Road with its continuation at now lower levels; and further traces appear to be the line of old masonry that projects from the foundation of the boundary wall on the north side of the path from Abbot Place to the shore." (Roman Road = Roods Roads on OS 6" 1925-48 Siting of West Port (see 39 SW) makes this clear.

W Stephen 1938

Stephen's (1938) description of the course of the town walls of Inverkeithing would appear to be accurate but very little evidence of the line remains. There are two probable surviving portions.

1. NT 1283 8278 - 1284 8282. On the E side of Roods (Roman) Road is a wall of random rubble masonry with a modern coping, average height 3.0m Inserted in this wall, and apparently contemporary with it, are a number of gateways, some blocked, one of which at NT 1283 8286, has the following inscription on its lintel "WB 1618 IB".

2. NT 1289 8272 - 1294 8268. Extending for 66.0m SE of the South Port, along the N wall of Abbott Place, is a nondescript piece of old masonry, probably the lower course of the Town Wall.

Visited by OS (AC) 12 March 1959