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A brief history of Rosyth

by Martin Rogers 30 December
Rosyth is located on the Firth of Forth, a mile south of the centre of Dunfermline.  It was established as a Garden City in the period 1915-1918 with 1600 houses being built in this period.  A further 100 semi-detached houses were built in the early 1920s together with shops, churches, masonic lodges, a hotel, a cinema and the Parkgate Institute.  The Dockyard was closed in 1925 and there was very little growth in the town until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 when the Dockyard was re-opened.  Dunfermline Town Council completed the Wemyss Street and Nelson Street estate that year and this was followed by the building of King's Road and the Dollytown estate.  In the late 1940s and 1950s there was extensive house building in Camdean, Burnside and in the Castle Road/Hilton Road area where married quarters were built for families of Royal Navy personnel. More new houses were built in the 1960s and 1970s including the Primrose and Whinnyburn Estates, the  redevelopment of the former Dollytown area and yet more married quarters off Castle Road.    Since the 1980s, a number of private housing estates have been built including the very substantial estate of Peasehill.  As most of the residents in Rosyth relied on the Dockyard for employment there was little in the way of factories and offices in Rosyth.  Lyle & Scott (makers of the famous Y front underwear) were the first business of any size to open premises in Rosyth (in 1962).    In more recent times others have followed - Sky and Lexmark for instance as well as Intelligent Finance and others on the site of the former HMS Cochrane. 

 1903    Announcement - New Naval Base to be built at Rosyth

            Land for Naval Base purchased

1907    Railway line constructed into Naval Base area

1909    Admiralty Road built

            Work started on building Dockyard

1913/14 Tin Town erected

1914    First World War started

            Third School

1915    Work started on building Rosyth Garden City

            Dockyard officially opened

            Rosyth YMCA premises opened in Ferrytoll Road

1916    First houses occupied in Rosyth Garden City

            Dockyard fully operational

            Battle of Jutland took place

1917    Dunfermline Co-op's temporary shops (The Wee Store) opened at top of Backmarch Road

Rosyth Halt Railway Station opened                 

            First of Fraser & Carmichael's shops opened in Queensferry Road

1918    Dick's Co-op premises opened at Parkgate

            Red Triangle Club hut opened at top of Backmarch Road

Tram service started between Rosyth and Dunfermline

King's Road School opened

Armistice brought end to First World War

Surrender of German Fleet in Forth

            Holloway Huts in Park Road converted into temporary shops

1919    Oil Fuel Depot completed

            Rosyth Rent Strike

            Salvation Army Hall opened in Admiralty Road

            Rosyth Bowling Club opened

            Carnegie Dunfermline Trust opened temporary Institute and Hall in Park Road

1920    Dunfermline Co-op's premises opened in Admiralty Road

1921    Semi detached houses built in Park Road, Leslie Road and Cromwell Road

            Palace Cinema and Palace Buildings built

1922    Park Road Primary School opened

            Temporary Clydesdale Bank Buildings opened in Queensferry Road

            Palais de Danse opened in Park Road

1923    Baptist Church opened

1924    Semi detached houses built at North end of Queensferry Road, Dick Place and the

west end of Park Road

St John's RC Primary School opened in Crossroads Place

            Masonic Hall in Parkgate opened

1925    Featherstone's new store opened in Admiralty Road (later Lawrie & Wilkie)

1926    Parkgate Institute opened

            St Andrew & St George Scottish Episcopal Church opened in King's Place

            Dockyard placed on a care and Maintenance Basis

            St John & St Columba's RC Church opened

1927    (Approx) Palais de Danse closed 

1931    Rosyth Parish Church opened

1933    Opening of Clydesdale Bank's permanent building  

1934    Rosyth Methodist Church opened in Parkgate

            Butchers

1936    Rosyth Dockyard Workers' Recreation Club opened permanent clubhouse in

Admiralty Road

1937    HMS Caledonia established at Rosyth (liner Majestic)

            Tram service closed

1938    Pitreavie Castle bought by the Air Ministry

            Paddling Pool opened

1939    Wemyss Street/Nelson Street estate built

            Second World War began

            Clock tower built on Pease Hill

1940    King's Road houses and road built

1941    British Sailors' Society Hostel opened in Castle Road

1942    Dollytown estate built

1946    Salvation Army Hall opened at top of Backmarch Road

1948/49 Prefabs built in Camdean Crescent     

1950s   New houses built at Burnside and Camdean

Naval married quarters built in Hilton Road area

1952    Crown Post Office opened at Crossroads

            Camdean Primary School Infant Department opened

1953    Camdean Primary School opened

1956    Queen's Buildings erected

            Apprentices' Hostel opened in Castle Road

1960s   New houses built in Elder Place, Camdean and Primrose

            Lyle & Scott's factory opened in Primrose Lane

1961    Houses erected on south side of Park Road and Elder Place

1964    Forth Road Bridge opened

1968    Opening of new clubhouse for Civil Service Sports Association in Castle Road

            Cochrane?

1969    Closure of Crown Post Office at Crossroads

1970s   Redevelopment of Dollytown area under way

Whinnyburn estate built and more naval married quarters

1970    William Low re-open their shop in Queensferry Road as a supermarket

            Police Station closed and new call point opened in Crossroads Place

            New Methodist Church premises opened in Queensferry Road

1971    Palace Picture House closed

1975    Demolition of prefab site in Camdean Crescent

            Camdean Community Centre opened

1976    Fire badly damaged the Dockyard Club in Admiralty Road

            Fire Station opened in Castle Road

1977    Dunfermline Building Society's offices opened in Queen's Buildings

1980s   Private housing estates built at Park Lea, Wemyss Court, Woodlands, Granville

Way and Mossbank

1980    Chart Depot in Castle Road closed and building later demolished

            Dockyard Syncrolift opened

1981    Trustees Savings Book open new premises in Queen's Buildings

1982    FalklandsWar

            William Low open new supermarket near Halt

            Social Work offices opened in Park Road1983

            Health Centre opened in Park Road           

            Bingo Hall opened in Queensferry Road (former William Low supermarket)

            Glad Yer Inn pub and shops opened in Heath Road

1985    HMS Caledonia closed

1986    St Andrew & St George Scottish Episcopal Church demolished

1987    Commercial management introduced at Dockyard

1988    Rosyth Library opened

            New St John's RC Church opened in Heath Road

1990    Roller Bowl complex opened in Primrose Lane

1991    Byres housing estate built

1992    Fire at Roller Bowl

1993    Announcement that Trident submarines to be refitted at Devonport

1994    Dunfermline Building Society Headquarters opened in Carnegie Campus

1995    Rosyth Naval Base closed

            Pitreavie Castle (joint RN/RAF headquarters) closed

            Jutland Club in Castle Road damaged by fire and demolished

            BskyB call centre opened at Pitreavie

1996    Lexmark factory opened on former Fleet Grounds

1999    Rosyth Station ticket office demolished

2000    Rosyth Europarc opened

2002    Launch of ferry service to Zeebrugge

2009    Bingo Hall in Queensferry Road closed 

 

 

Now it's your turn!

That's the briefest of brief summaries, and hardly covers the most important dates. But this is where you come in. There's lots of interest in local history and lots of local knowledge out there - so why not share it here? To add to the time-line, all you have to do is click on the edit button.

Or perhaps you'd like to start your own article about another aspect of Rosyth history? You can do that, too. There must also be a wealth of wonderful photographs of old Rosyth - maybe even some video of more recent events - and those are more than welcome here.

Post it all here, and let's see if we can really chronicle the history of Rosyth in a way we can all share!

 


Add a comment

11 November | 9:10:03

angus munro says

Just joined the Admiralty Rd Allotment gardening centre and wondered if its history can be set out.

A.Munro, 61, Syme Place. angus.munro1@googlemail.com

5 February | 12:02:40

lynne wilson says

Have found my Christie ancestors in 1918/1919 in Rosyth at what looks like D/30 Road. Has anybody any idea what this might be? mojal@hotmail.com

5 February | 5:38:19

Diana Lauder Sacks says

Good Morning: I have some history of living in Rosyth, Scotland, during WW 2 which I would like to add to your site. Having reached the age of 70 years I am beginning to get interested in my family genealogy for the benefit of my three children and six grandchildren. My maiden name was Diana Lauder and I was born in Chatham, Kent, England in 1938, lived overseas with my parents until I was 16 years old, returned to England in 1955 and then left permanently for the United States in 1960. Over the years, I have made annual visits to England and I will be there next week because my mother passed away at the age of 96 (my father passed away three years' ago at the same age).

I spent 2-3 years living in Rosyth, Scotland, probably in the period 1943-1946. My father was an Admiralty employee and we had been living in Ceylon until WW2 became a threat. My mother and I were evacuated back to England and when my father returned he was posted to Rosyth. (A second stay in Rosyth, about 6 months, took place in 1950). During the first visit we lived at 11 Lowry Road, Rosyth. I don't know if this house still exists. It was a small house, one of many climbing up a hill, and, I believe attached to another house. The back garden was quite long and narrow and my father put up a swing for me at the end of it. I went to a Primary School that was within walking distance of the house. I remember having some little friends and playing on some banks and in some streams (burns). I also remember sledding with my parents on one occasion. I also remember visits to the Andrew Carnegie Library in Dunfermline. After a while, my father left to travel to Singapore, where he had been posted. My mother and I were alone for a period of time and eventually left to join him in 1947. I remember shopping with my mother in the nearby town. The second visit was a short one, between tours of Singapore (1947-1950 and 1950-1954), and we stayed in a guest house, run by two sisters, in Dunfermline. I also remember taking walks and visiting ruins which, I believe, were the ruins of a castle. At the guest house we became friends with a woman who was visiting from Pennsylvania, USA -- a Mrs. Anderson who gave me a Robert Burns Birthday Book. I also remember trips to Edinburgh on the train across the Firth of Forth and walks down Prince's Street. That is what I remember of Rosyth and Dunfermline and, unfortunately, have no pictures. Diana Lauder Sacks, Pennsylvania, USA

12 April | 7:32:54

Joe Wilson says

I recently came across my great grandfathers wedding certificate.  He was married in February 1914 and his address at the time of his marriage is shown as "12 Rosyth Village, Inverkeithing".  This is exactly as it appears on the wedding register extract.  My question is, where in current day Rosyth is this/was this?  Any help with this would be much appreciated.  Many Thanks.

29 April | 9:02:36

Hamish FREEMAN says

Re Diana Lauder's question.

Lowry Road was part of Dollytown, which were wonderful small brick houses, infrotunately they were demolished in the 1970s, we were one of the last people to move out in 1976,

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