Balmerino
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| Balmerino abbey |
In
the early 1200's Balmerino Abbey, situated on the south
bank of the Tay opposite Dundee was granted rights to
quarry stones at Nydie near Strathkinness, four miles
west of St Andrews, and transport the stones to the
abbey for use in building.
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| Click on map for larger image.
Based on the 1926 one-inch map for Dundee &
St Andrews. With thanks to Ordnance Survey. |
The
route taken by the monks between the quarry and the
abbey is discussed in a paper by R Fyfe Smith and Rev.
Norman M Johnston Quarry to Abbey: an Ancient
Fife Route which was published in the Proceedings
of the Society of Antiquarians in Scotland. It also
identifies the segments that still remain of the road.
As
this route has been fully dealt with in that paper and
also by Owen Silver in the Roads of Fife
we will restrict ourselves to providing a map of the
route as determined by Smith and Johnston and some relevant
references.
The
Chartularies of Balmerino and Lindores,
charters
46, 47, 48
Balmerino and Its Abbey, James Campbell, Edinburgh,
1868, page
92
Quarry
to Abbey: an Ancient Fife Route, R Fyfe Smith
and Rev. Norman M Johnston. PSAS, Vol 83 (1948-49),
pps 162-167
The Roads of Fife, Owen Silver, John Donald Publishers
Ltd, Edinburgh 1987
Glasgow University's Scottish
Charters Project website - see Balmerino
Collessie
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| Lindores abbey |
Several charters
of Lindores Abbey refer to a right of way between the
abbey and a petary in present day Collessie parish. The
charters were translated by John Dowden, Bishop of Edinburgh,
in his edition of the Chartulary, published in 1903. Extracts
from these are given below. See Chartulary
of the Abbey of Lindores 1195-1479, Right Rev. John
Dowden, D.D., Bishop of Edinburgh on Internet Archives.
See also The Roads of Fife by Owen Silver.
A charter of Roger De Quency (charter 135, page 176) says
that:
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"the
monks of Lundors, and their men with their oxen,
horses, and carts should have a free road (cheminagium)
through the middle of his wood of Kyndeloch, if
they think it an advantage to them, and through
the whole of his land, wherever it might seem to
them best and most suitable, as far as to the moor
of Edyn for heather; and through the middle of the
moor itself as far as the peatmoss, which is called
Monagrey, for peats, and thence to the monastery,
both going and returning, without hindrance or opposition
from his bailiff, or the bailiff or his heirs and
successors."
Dowden notes that "cheminagium (chymnachium)
is from the old French cheminage, commonly used
for the payment of tolls demanded by the owners
of forest for the passage of horses and wagons.
Liberum cheminagium is permission of passing without
toll through the wood." |
A charter
of Elena of Brechin (charter 136, page 177) gave Lindores
two small parcels of land in Kyndeloch where they could
stack their peat. The charter says of these lands that::
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"one
is called Inch (Insula), which lies to the north,
immediately next to the land which the monks have
and had in the vill of Kyndeloch. And that Inch
is surrounded on the west and north by a marsh,
which is called in English Seggymir, and on the
east by a marsh which is called in English Muchelli.
But the other small portion is in the south part
of the moor of Edin lying, on its north part, next
adjoining the marsh of the monks, which by another
name is called Mungrey. And that small portion of
land contains one acre and a quarter. She also gave
the monks "a free road for drawing and carting (cariandi)
the said fuel without hindrance through her lands
of Kyndeloch from their marsh to each of the two
places, and beyond, as often as they please and
have need." Dated August 1302 |
Charter 137 (page 180) of Roger de
Quency granted Lindores 200 cart-loads of heather each
year from his moor of Kyndeloch and the same amount of
peats from his peat-moss of Monegre. He also granted one
acre nearby where they could dry the peats and:
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"a
messuage adjacent to the nearest ford, which is
called Ethyweyn, on the eastern side in the field
(in campo) of Thoreston, containing two acres of
land, to which messuage they can draw their heather
and peats. Further, the monks and their men are
permitted to have a free road (chiminagium), in
a straight line as far as the moor, for heather,
and a free road through the middle of the moor for
peats, and thence to the messuage in returning."
Dated 1247.
A messuage implies a dwelling with outbuildings. |
John de Kocbrun (Charter 140, page
186) gave Lindores:
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'that
whole land with its pertinents which lies in breadth
between the main road (magnam viam), which leads
from my vill of Cullessin to the monastery of Lundors,
and the land of the monks which is called Cardynside,
and in length, beginning from the land of the same
monks which is called Suthleys, towards the north
as far as the burn (rivulum) running into the great
lake, between me and them, with that small portion
(particula) of land which I have caused to be estimated
(extendi), and bounded for them on the south part
of the aforesaid main road, in a right line from
my land which is called Wudeknocside northward as
far as the middle of the meadow belonging to the
same monks, which is called the meadow of the great
lake.
Moreover, he gives to the monks two acres of land
outside the vill of Culessin, towards the north,
where they may make a messuage for themselves, to
which they can draw their peats and other goods,
and there, if they wish, keep them safe ; and also
a free passage or road by the midst of his land
of Coulessin, to wit, in going through the midst
of his vill of Coulessin, with their men, horses,
oxen, waggons, and carts (carrectis), towards their
peat-moss in the moor of Edyne, and in returning,
by the same way, as they had been accustomed for
the purpose of drawing their fuel, without any disturbance
on the part of him, his heirs, and assignees, excepting
[damage to] their corn and meadow-grass (herbagio)."
Dowden identifies the great loch as the loch of
Rossie which was drained in the late 1700’s. He
acknowledges an alternative view that it could be
the loch of Lindores. |
Interpretation
 |
Click on map for larger image.
Based on the 1926 one-inch map for Dundee
& St Andrews. With thanks to Ordnance Survey. |
Unfortunately, not all of the placenames have survived
but Monagre is shown on the Military Survey map just east
of Ladybank. Kindeloch is Kinloch south of Collessie and
the name Moor of Eden still survives. The location of
the small parcels of land where the monks could collect
their peats and heather is not certain but Monkstown and
Heatherinch (formerly Nether Inch) are possibilities and
there seems to have been grants of land nearer to Kinloch
and to the north of Collessie.
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| The track is likely
to have run over these hills to Lindores |
The last charter is difficult
to interpret although the reference to the magnam viam
between Collessie and Lindores abbey is clear enough.
The topography suggests it would have had much the same
route as today, probably on a higher line as this would
be drier - Silver (Roads of Fife) suggests it could
be the track running up through Braeside and to the
east of Green Law. .
Although it cannot be determined
exactly today, the route taken by the right of way through
Collessie and Kinloch to Monagre must have been fairly
direct, perhaps through Monkstown.
____________________________________________________________________
Charter 91 (page 98) refers to
the public street beside the church of Collessie.
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