Hill of Beath

Close to the Cowdenbeath is the village of Hill of Beath, which to be more exact, was the birthplace of a footballing legend — Jim Baxter. This statue was erected about a year after his death.

Jim Baxter 1939-2001

Cowdenbeath High Street

I have a wee smirk to my self every time I see this stone, which is built into the parapet of the railway bridge across Cowdenbeath High Street.

Just what does "Laid with Masonic Honours" really mean and can you imagine that happening today?

I will find out one day, though I won't be able to tell you.....

Incidentally, the road that cuts diagonally across the High Street and underneath this bridge was once a railway line. Nowadays it is called Pit Road, the it was No.7 Pit Road, the swimming pool and Cowdenbeath FC's pitch are now on the site.

Cowdenbeath railway bridge

Donibristle Pit Disaster

These men were following a coal seam and unfortunately they had tunnelled so much that they broke through to the underneath of a peat bog. Tons of peat slurry from Mossmorran Moss and adjoining workings flowed into the mine workings. Some of the men were killed outright being suffocated by the peat, other were not so lucky. They lingered for a couple of days before they themselves suffocated.

Great heroism was shown by the Cowdenbeath miners in the rescue of their trapped comrades.

"This memorial cairn is dedicated to the memory of the eight men who lost their lives in the Donibristle Colliery Disaster, which occurred on the 26th August 1901, approximately one mile south of this spot in the centre of Mossmorran Moor.

David Campbell, Alexander Smith, George Hutchison, William Forsyth, Thomas Rattray, William Hynd, Andrew Patterson and James McDonald."

For further reading on the disaster. Fife Mining Resource, Central Fife, Donibristle Pits and Mines.

A similar accident happened at Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery, Ayrshire, on the 7th September, 1950, with the loss of 13 men.

Donibristle Disaster memorial cairn