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East Broom Hill
Earthwork(S) (Period Unassigned)
Site Name East Broom Hill
Classification Earthwork(S) (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) West Broom Hill
Canmore ID 52798
Site Number NT28NW 3
NGR NT 2291 8586
NGR Description NT 2291 8586 to NT 2352 8569
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/52798
- Council Fife
- Parish Burntisland
- Former Region Fife
- Former District Kirkcaldy
- Former County Fife
NT28NW 3 2291 8586 to 2352 8569.
(Name NT 2325 8597) Intrenchment (NR) (Site of)
OS 6" map, (1938)
Entrenchments, East Broom Hill - There are now no vestiges of these entrenchments, but at one time there were fortifications on both East and West Broom Hill, the latter dating from 1627. Before 1650 there was a second fort ' on the East height'. constructed in the first instance by the Covenanters of Fife (A Young 1924).
A Young 1924; RCAHMS 1933.
Shortly after 1632, a wall was built around the town of Burntisland to render it defensible against an attack from the sea. This anticipation was soon verified, as in 1651, Cromwell attacked the harbour. Part of the wall is still extant.
A H Millar 1895.
Intrenchment - (Site of). There was formerly a deep trench about 50 yards in length on the North side and near the top of the hill, said to have been made by Cromwell when his army lay before the town. It has been filled up and is cultivated; the site can be pointed out but there were no remains found when levelling it.
(Undated) information in NMRS.
(From NT 2291 8586 through NT 2343 8603 to NT 2352 8569). There are no structural remains of these 17th century fortifications. Elphinstone (J Elphinstone's 'Plan of Burntisland', 12 1/2 inches to one mile) shows that they were L-shaped on plan, enclosing the town and harbour to the N and E, with four bastions on the N side, two on the E, and one at the NE corner.
The N defence occupied a strong natural position on a ridge of high ground called East Broom Hill and West Broom Hill. On the latter they would appear to have commenced at a point just E of the Rossend Castle, somewhere near the present railway cutting, and followed the line of a modern stone wall as far as Kirkton Road. The probable course on East Broom Hill is at first is at first obscured by private houses but is then probably represented by a raised footpath as far as Manse Lane. Hereabouts, at the foot of the hill, it turned southwards through the gasworks, past the East Port and along the E side of Links Place to terminate on a low knoll overlooking the harbour.
Visited by OS (A C) 11 March 1959.
Roy Scot Geogr Soc 1936.
Field Visit (6 May 1925)
Entrenchments, East Broom Hill.
There are now no vestiges of these entrenchments, but at one time there were fortifications on both East and West Broom Hill, the latter dating from 1627. Before 1650 there was a second fort "on the East height," constructed in the first instance by the Covenanters of Fife (1). A plan of the fort on the "East Head" as it existed in 1804, is given by Young (2).
RCAHMS 1933, visited 6 May 1925.
(1) History of Burntisland, by Andrew Young, pp. 93, 99. (2) Ibid., p. 102.
